TNAG-2939-FCO40-4215-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-ethnic-minorities-1993 — Page 85

special treatment on the basis of not being able to be

treated alike with other Hong Kong residents in particular

Hong Kong Chinese after 1997.

There is a further fallback if it were wanted.

The British Government has given assurance that if any

solely British national with no claim to Chinese

nationality came under severe pressure to leave Hong Kong,

the government of the day would consider with considerable

and particular sympathy their case for admission to the

United Kingdom.

This assurance was given in public and

repeated on several occasions. There is, therefore, no

good reason for not accepting it.

On the question of the third generation I should

point out that guaranteed citizenship down three

generations, outside residence in the country of

nationality, is rarely a realistic demand for anyone.

And

if you are taking things so far, other Hong Kong citizens

might well answer that the 50 years of the Joint

Declaration does not go beyond two generations.

I have noted the further support given by the

LegCo Sub-Committee on Nationality given to your lobby to

London. I am sure you welcome this, and so do I as a

gernerous show of the majority community's support and

respect for a minority. However I must say it is not

exactly clear what they are specifically supporting beyond

a general wish that something more should be done : is it