Redacted under FOI exemption 27(1)
CONFIDENTIAL
61
ANNEX A
SUMMARY OF CHINESE STATEMENTS ON THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE
It
A statement on 30 December 1989 by a spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry described the nationality package as "a gross violation of a solemn commitment by the British Government. claimed that by calling on other countries to adopt similar measures Britain had attempted to "internationalise Chinese residents in Hong Kong and that the British decision would have divisive effects and was disadvantageous to Hong Kong's stability and prosperity. The statement concluded by saying that China reserved the right to adopt "corresponding measures".
2. An article in the pro-Peking Hong Kong Wen Wei Po on 9 January repeated some of the above points. It observed that the scheme was targeted at the pillars of the Hong Kong community and asked what would happen if they left for the UK. It suggested that the scheme would create a problem of allegiance and operational difficulties for the SAR Government, claiming that the provision in the JD that Chinese and foreign nationals previously employed by the Hong Kong Government might remain in employment (JD14) was based on the premise that Chinese civil servants would not become British Citizens.
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