TNAG-2174-FCO40-3111-Hong-Kong-Bill-of-Rights-1990 — Page 42

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INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT

OFFICE LONDON, PEKING

INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG) HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA

INFO SAVING HKGO SAN FRANCISCO

HONG KONG AGREEMENT: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUNDUP

SUMMARY

1. NEWS RELATING TO THE PASSAGE OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY CHK)

BILL AT ITS THIRD READING IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS DOMINATED MEDIA

COVERAGE DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW.

NATIONALITY BILL

2. THE MEDIA (14 15.6) ACCORDED PROMINENT AND EXTENSIVE COVERAGE TO THE PASSAGE OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY (HK) BILL AT ITS THIRD

READING IN PARLIAMENT.

3. A HK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN WELCOMED THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL.

4. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY, LI JINHUA, REITERATED CHINA'S STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE BILL AND WARNED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL CONSEQUENCES ARISING FROM IT.

5. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE OMELCO GROUP ON THE NATIONALITY BILL, ROSANNA TAM, SAID THAT THE GROUP WAS ENCOURAGED BY THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL. SHE HOPED THAT THE BILL WOULD BE PUT INTO PRACTICE AS

SOON AS POSSIBLE.

6. LEGCO MEMBER MARTIN LEE SAID THAT CHINA'S OPPOSITION TO THE BILL WOULD CAUSE THE ELITE IN HK TO LEAVE THE TERRITORY BEFORE 1997.

7. A FEW INDEPENDENT PAPERS COMMENTED ON THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL BY- SAYING THAT IT WOULD HELP RETAIN TALENTED PEOPLE IN THE TERRITORY. A NUMBER OF COLUMNISTS IN PEKING-CONTROLLED PAPERS CRITICISED THE BILL FOR BREACHING THE JD AND PROVISIONS IN THE BL.

BILL OF RIGHTS

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