9 May 1991
C J Glover Esq
Chairman
Superintendent's Association Royal Hong Kong Police Force Arsenal Street
HONG KONG
ние 233 12.
д
RIZU-LT
Foreign & Commonwealth
Office
London SW1 2AH
Dear Mr Glover,
Thank you for your letter of 26 February to Lord Caithness about matters of concern to HMOCS members. I have been asked to reply.
Lord Caithness has asked me to assure you that all serving members of HMOCS who are affected by the change of sovereignty in 1997 will be eligible for any possible future special arrangements. The date at which an officer joined HMOCS or the fact that he/she may have transferred from contract to pensionable terms will have no bearing on this eligibility.
You ask about the status after 1997 of British citizens of Chinese and part-Chinese origin who remain in Hong Kong. The position is that anyone who is a British citizen will enjoy all the benefits that this status confers including the right of consular access throughout the world, except in the case of dual nationals in the country of their second nationality. However, Chinese law does not recognise dual nationality. It is uncertain whether the Chinese authorities will regard British citizens of Hong Kong Chinese origin as PRC nationals. We think it unlikely that they will take this view of the spouses and children of British expatriate British citizens. However, it is a matter for
the Chinese authorities to determine.
You also ask about the length of time it is taking to process the applications of non-British wives of HMOCS members, under Section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act. I am pleased to be able to tell you that the Home Office have now agreed, as an exceptional measure, to deal with applications from spouses of British expatriates in Hong Kong out of turn. This should ensure a much quicker processing time of applications under Section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981.
WINAJM
CC
(21
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