applications before the 1 July 1997 deadline.
Non-Chinese ethnic minorities
32. Special provision has been made for the approximately
7,000 Hong Kong BDTCs who are not ethnically Chinese. They
too can become BN (0)s before 1 July 1997. Their children born
thereafter will, for two generations, be able to acquire
British Overseas Citizenship if they would otherwise be
stateless. These provisions were made because there was
uncertainty as to whether non-ethnic Chinese would be able to
obtain Chinese nationality after 1997. The Government has
also given an assurance (most recently in the House of Lords
on 15 July 1993) that any solely British national who comes
under pressure to leave Hong Kong could expect to have his
case for admission to the United Kingdom considered by the
Government of the day with special and considerable sympathy.
Future British Consulate General
33.
The UK Government attach considerable importance to
maintaining a prestige presence to show our continued
commitment to Hong Kong after 1997 and to match our continuing
interests. Following agreement in principle during the Prime Minister's visit to Peking in September 1991, the Sino-British
Land Commission in Hong Kong formally agreed to the granting of a prestigious site (the Colvin House site, in Supreme Court
Road) to the United Kingdom Government at nominal premium for
the construction of the future British Consulate-General. The
Foreign and Commonwealth Office commissioned and briefed six
architectural practices to prepare initial sketch designs.
The design by Terry qarrell and Co Ltd was selected in August
1992 as the most suitable high quality design. Construction is due to begin later this year. The building will bring
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