TNAG-2638-FCO40-3830-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-ethnic-minorities-1992 — Page 33

15 December 1992

SEDE

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

London SWIA 2AH

Telephone: 071-

L. Parker

British High Commission

New Delhi

Dear

سلان

U Pumber,

HKCD 34074.

1. We were interested to see last month extracts from the

record of talks on international issues between Sir J Coles

and Mr Srinivasan of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs

held in New Delhi on 5 November.

2. Paragraph 11 (second session of talks) contains a

reference to the situation post 1997 of ethnic Indians now living in Hong Kong. Mr Srinivasan's brief appears to have

been a little confused.

Bo

3.

To set the record straight, it is of course the British Government which has guaranteed through the Hong Kong

(British Nationality) Order 1986 that the children and grandchildren of those who are British Dependent Territory Citizens prior to 1 July 1997 will have British Overseas Citizenship if they would otherwise be stateless.

4.

The legal position in Chinese eyes after 1997 of the non Chinese ethnic community in Hong Kong of which Indians make up the greater part is complicated by confusion over the Chinese definition of nationality.

-

But the continued right of

Srinivasan.NAT

JEB