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064556
MDADAN 9861
QUESTIONABLE THEREFORE WHETHER A DEBATE THAT PROVIDED A REAL CHOICE, FOR EXAMPLE WHETHER TO GIVE REAL U K PASSPORTS ONLY TO ETHNIC MINORITIES, WOULD PRODUCE THE SAME GENEROUS RESULT. IN THIS RESPECT YOU MAY NOTE WHEN WE FAX THE DRAFT HANSARD TO YOU EARLY NEXT WEEK THAT WE ADDED A KEY REMINDER NEAR THE BEGINNING OF THE WINDING-UP SPEECH, THAT THESE PEOPLE HAD CHOSEN HK NOT UK AS THEIR HOME. AT BASE THEIR CONCERN IS THAT HK AFTER 1997 WILL NOT TREAT THEM AS WELL AS HK BEFORE 1997. THEY HAVE THE SAME WORRIES AS EVERYONE ELSE ABOUT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S DELIVERY ON ITS PROMISES ABOUT THE SAR, BUT ALSO THE ADDITIONAL WORRY THAT AS NON-CHINESE THEY WILL BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BOTH BY THE NEW AUTHORITIES AND ALSO BY SOME LOCAL PREJUDICED PEOPLE WITHOUT DEFENCE BY THE NEW AUTHORITIES.
11. YOU MAY BE RELIEVED THAT THE ARCULLI MOTION LOST AND THE MCGREGOR MOTION WON, IF ONLY FOR PARTY REASONS. ARCULLI WAS MORE DIRECTLY AIMING AT AN EXTRA ASSURANCE FROM YOU. THERE WAS INDEED SOME OPPOSITION TO IT FOR THE REASON THAT IT WAS UNREALISTIC TO EXPECT. MCGREGOR LEAVES THE BALL AT LEAST FIRSTLY IN OUR COURT, IMPLICITLY TO ASSIST THE LEGCO SUB COMMITTEE THEY ARE SETTING UP SPECIALLY TO LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM TOGETHER WITH THE OF POW WIVES. NEVERTHELESS ANY STEPS THAT COULD BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT THESE PEOPLE DO NOT BECOME STATELESS WOULD BE YOURS TO TAKE, UNLESS WE WERE TO CONSIDER PRESSING THE CHINESE TO ASSURE THEM THAT THEY COULD HAVE CHINESE NATIONALITY AS WELL AS HONG KONG RIGHT OF ABODE AFTER 1997. WE DO NOT THINK THAT IS REALISTIC AT THIS TIME, NOT LEAST BECAUSE IT IS NOT AT ALL WHAT THEY ARE REALLY AFTER. AS CONCLUDED IN THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY'S SPEECH, THEY WOULD APPARENTLY REALLY LIKE SOME PRIORITY IN THE BNS, AND THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE, AS WE EMPHASISED.
12. BOC-SHIP IS A PARTICULAR PR PROBLEM FOR US AND PERHAPS FOR YOU TOO. AS INDICATED IN OUR TELNO 2685 AND ITS FOLLOW-UP, WE DO NOT KNOW HOW USEFUL BOC PASSPORTS ARE AS TRAVEL DOCUMENTS. PRESUMABLY (AND WE AWAIT YOUR ADVICE) THIRD COUNTRIES MAY BE RELUCTANT TO ACCORD VISA-FREE ENTRY GIVEN THAT THERE IS NO ASSURANCE THAT THE HOLDERS HAVE A RIGHT OF ABODE ANYWHERE AND THERE IS THEREFORE NO GUARANTEE THAT THEY ARE RETURNABLE. ANOTHER DIFFICULTY IS THAT LACK OF AUTOMATIC BOC STATUS FOR GREAT- GRANDCHILDREN AND SUBSEQUENT GENERATIONS. BARONESS YOUNG EXPLAINED IN 1985 THAT BRITAIN COULD NOT REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO ENTER INTO AN INDEFINITE COMMITMENT. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD CONSIDER A STRONGER LINE WITH EVIDENCE IF POSSIBLE, AS THIS WILL BE A KEY ISSUE WHEN WE TAKE THE MOTION'S ACTIONS
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