LEGITIMATE children of Hong Kong permanent residents on the mainland may be given priority to settle in the territory over their illegitimate counterparts, according to China's working panel for the post-1997 government yesterday.
At the end of its two-day meeting in Beijing, the Preliminary Working Committee (PWC) social and security sub-group said the priority system had been suggested because of the large number of mainland-born children involved.
The group's Hong Kong co-convenor, Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, said it was only an idea and members would need to address the issue further.
Asked if the priority system implied recognition of the illegitimate children's rights to settle in Hong Kong, Mrs Fan said the group had yet to formulate its views on the conditions under which mainland-born children would enjoy permanent residency.
However, the inclusion of illegitimate children could mean Hong Kong residents with a second marriage in China would be able to claim permanent residency for their children.
If this is the case, the number of mainland children eligible to become permanent residents of the Special Administrative Region (SAR) could be much higher than the Government's estimate of 75,000.