CONFIDENTIAL
024013
MDHIAN 7764
(371)
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1332
OF 230959Z APRIL 90
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
PEKING, PLEASE PASS TO JLG TEAM
нко
3404
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
0 1 JUN 1990
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
UK NATIONALITY PACKAGE: CHINESE RESPONSE
REGISTRY Action Taken
IN TODAY'S TA KUNG PAO, TONG YUK-HON SAID THAT APART FROM AREAS LIKE RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN PASSPORTS, RIGHT TO CONSULAR PROTECTION AND ENTRY AND EXIT PROCEDURES, THE ''APPROPRIATE MEASURES'' THAT THE CHINESE SIDE REFERRED TO IN THEIR PRESS STATEMENT MADE IN RESPONSE TO THE SECOND READING OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY BILL 1990 MIGHT COMPRISE THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS:
(A) TO COUNTER THE DIVISIVE EFFECTS OF THE BILL, THE CHINESE
SIDE WOULD PROMOTE UNITY AMONG HONG KONG PEOPLE:
(B)
AS THE BILL WOULD ACCELERATE THE BRAIN DRAIN, THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD TAKE MEASURES ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO STAY: AND
(C) IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THE POLICY OF ''HONG KONG PEOPLE RULING
HONG KONG ', THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD ABORT THE BILL'S LONG TERM AIM OF ''BRITISH RULING HONG KONG''
2.
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TONG SAID THAT THESE ELEMENTS IMPLIED THAT THE APPROPRIATE MEASURES WOULD GO BEYOND THE QUESTIONS OF NATIONALITY AND RIGHT OF
ABODE IN THE UK.
3.
THE ARTICLE ALSO CONTAINED A VEILED THREAT THAT THE FINAL DECISION MAKING POWER WAS IN THE HANDS OF THE CHINESE SIDE. ANYTHING WHICH WAS INCONSISTENT WITH THE LETTER AND SPIRIT OF THE JD COULD BE UNDONE. THE CRUX OF THE MATTER, ACCORDING TO TONG, WAS TO MAKE PSYCHOLOGICAL PREPARATION BY HAVING THE BRITISH WRONGDOINGS EXPOSED AT THIS TIME. ONCE THIS WAS DONE, THERE WAS NO NEED TO ANNOUNCE AS A MATTER OF URGENCY THE CONCRETE MEASURES TO BE TAKEN TO COUNTER THE EFFECTS OF THE BILL.
4.
THE ARTICLE FOLLOWS BY FAX.
PAGE 1 CONFIDENTIAL
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