TNAG-2714-FCO40-3920-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1993 — Page 27

14-JUL-1993 14:41

Gallagher

TRANSCRIPT MR ALASTAIR GOODLAD

24

w

0491 579838

P.24

SELECT COMMITTEE

tw

14 JULY 93

1

huge number of people, as I understand it there are about 2,000

families, at most 7,000 people involved, and there is no evidence

that large numbers of them want to emigrate to this country and

there is a fear, despite what you have said, that at best they

will be merely second class citizens and at worst they or their

descendants will remain stateless. So I plead with you, will you

please look at this problem again, especially if our committee

when we come to delivery on the matter, come out with a similar

recommendation to what was made in 1989.

MR GOODLAD:

On the original point of application for Chinese citizenship,

could I say that there is no bar to people of non-Chinese race

becoming Chinese citizens and there are indeed huge non-Chinese

minorities in China. I would also reiterate that there is no

question of these people becoming stateless, but in response to

your plea I will draw what you have said to the Home

Secretary's attention.

CHAIRMAN:

Can I ask Sir Robin, as we are lucky enough to have him here,

whether he knows of any other examples of the Chinese government

giving citizenship to non-ethnic Chinese?

i