TNAG-2194-FCO40-3131-Hong-Kong-nationality-package-1990 — Page 240

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Action Taken

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Dear

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THE HONG KONG BILL

Many colleagues will be concerned about the Hong Kong Bill because of its implications for immigration policy and good race relations in Britain. Our concern is its implications for the future of Hong Kong itself. When making a decision on how you will vote on this Bill, we would hope that you would consider the following arguments.

The Treaty signed with the Government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) honourably drew to a close British administration of Hong Kong when the lease of the New Territories ends in 1997. The British Government managed to agree with the PRC that for 50 years after 1997 Hong Kong China would be able to continue to be administered and governed as it has been in the past but under Chinese Sovereignty - "one country two systems" - which was a great achievement on the part of the Prime Minister and Geoffrey Howe. It was laid down that anyone of Chinese nationality would become a citizen of China and of the special Administration Zone of Hong Kong China. The future of the six million odd Chinese in Hong Kong, therefore, remained in Hong Kong. This agreement was welcomed by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong in 1984 as the best way to guarantee the future of the people of Hong Kong.

It was only when emigration of the professional and skilled people began to grow during 1986-89 that the demand for British citizenship arose. Tiananmen Square reinforced the demand. They emigrated to Canada, the USA and Australia where they had to stay to gain citizenship as they would normally have to do in Britain. The argument for British citizenship without a prior period of residence is based on the proposition that to persuade the Hong Kong people to stay in Hong Kong until 1997 and beyond we must give them the insurance policy of British citizenship and thereby, of course, the ability to leave Hong Kong.

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