TNAG-2160-FCO40-3080-Hong-Kong-nationality-package-Chinese-views-1990 — Page 46

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040043 MDHIAN 4942

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FM PEKING

TELNO 879

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

OF 150205Z JUNE 90

HKC340 / i

15 JUN 1990

!

Y

V

Nat: Ch

вить

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, ETC HONG KONG

HONG KONG : NATIONALITY BILL : MFA SPOKESWOMAN'S REMARKS.

1. AT THE WEEKLY MFA NEWS BRIEFING ON 14 JUNE, A HONG KONG JOURNALIST SOUGHT THE MFA SPOKESWOMAN'S RESPONSE TO REPORTS THAT PARLIAMENT HAD APPROVED THE NATIONALITY BILL.

2. LI JINHUA SAID THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD TIME AND AGAIN MADE CLEAR ITS JUST AND SOLEMN POSITION AND DEMANDS CONCERNING THE ISSUE, YET THE BRITISH SIDE WAS STILL PURSUING ITS PLAN TO CHANGE THE NATIONALITY OF SOME CHINESE CITIZENS IN HONG KONG. THE BRITISH SIDE SHOULD HOLD RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL THE CONSEQUENCES ARISING FROM THIS.

COMMENT.

3. SPOKESWOMAN'S REMARKS, WHICH WERE IN ANSWER TO A QUESTION FROM THE FLOOR, FOLLOWED THE STANDARD LINE DEPLOYED IN THE PAST. THEY HAVE BEEN REPORTED FACTUALLY IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRESS OF 15 JUNE, WITHOUT SUPPLEMENTARY COMMENT. THERE HAS YET BEEN NO REFERENCE IN THE 'PEOPLE'S DAILY''

4. ALTHOUGH JIANG ENZHU RAISED THE QUESTION OF SUBVERSION IN HONG KONG WHEN I CALLED ON HIM TODAY ON OTHER BUSINESS, HE MADE NO REFERENCE TO THE NATIONALITY BILL.

COATES

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