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Dew Chine
QUEEN ANNE'S GATE LONDON SWIH 9AT
13 JUL 1993
HONG KONG. NATIONALITY :
ASSURANCES TO ETHNIC MINORITIES AND ETHNIC CHINESE
When I wrote on 8 July I gave you my preliminary views on the question of extending to ethnic Chinese BDTCs the immigration assurance for the non- Chinese ethnic minorities which we have repeated on several occasions in recent years.
Now that I have thought further about this over the weekend I have come to the clear view that it would not be right to extend the scope of the assurance in the way which you and Alastair Goodlad have suggested.
I am sure that Alastair Goodlad is right in recognising that Lady Young's original assurance was not intended to apply to all Hong Kong BDTCS. As you know we have consistently maintained the position that it 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 will, by definition, not be in this position, and I do not think that it would be right to extend the assurance to them.
As you know, Charles Wardle restated the assurance during the Adjournment Debate on 9 July. I have asked him to use the opportunity of the debate on the two Orders tomorrow to make it clear that the special factors that led to the assurances to the ethnic minorities do not apply to any other category.
I am copying this letter to Alastair Goodlad.
HKD. 340/6
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RF
2 1 JUL 1993
حسن
MICHAEL HOWARD
107
His Excellency The Rt Hon Chris Patten Governor of Hong Kong
Thn Barre's Jones, HK.D
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