TNAG-2942-FCO40-4218-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-ethnic-minorities-1993 — Page 35

MUD 340/6

RECE

09 AUG 1993

REGISTRY

Acton Ti

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FROM: Deborah Barnes Jones

Hong Kong Department

DATE: 5 August 1993

cc: Mr Hum

In a nutshell, the Home fecretary has already orally conceded the line that the Governor would like adopted,

(to the Legło delegation in June) but then he

resiled in print. 6/8

Mr Morris Sir J Coles

HONG KONG NATIONALITY: ASSURANCE FOR ETHNIC MINORITIES AND

OTHER BRITISH NATIONALS IN HONG KONG

A 83

1.

Sir J Coles asked for a note about:

(a) HMG's current position on the assurance for the ethnic minority; and

(b) What would the Governor like our policy to be.

2. The assurance to the ethnic minority in Hong Kong is as

follows:

jc5/8.NAT.dbj

"If, against all expectations, members of that group came under pressure to leave Hong Kong and had nowhere else to go, the Government of the day would be expected to consider with considerable and particular sympathy their case for admission

to the United Kingdom."

The Home Secretary stated in his letter of 23 July to Emily Lau that this assurance was not intended to apply to ethnic Chinese British nationals in Hong Kong. He argued that the assurance "was designed to meet the concerns of a group of people who will have no nationality after 1997 other than BN (0) or BOC. The ethnic Chinese, by definition, not be in this position."

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