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"We felt so insecure about the return to the motherland 10 years ago and a BNO (a simplified name for a passport of British National Overseas) was considered a way to fly if situation in Hong Kong became worse," David Chan recalled his rush for a BNO passport in 1996.

Sitting in a Starbucks in Central, seeing office people hurrying around the skyscrapers, David said, "However nothing has changed, except land in Hong Kong is getting more expensive and we are more busy."

Being an accountant in a world famous financial company, David felt Hong Kong is still an attractive financial center and become even hotter due to its closer connection with Chinese mainland, which is on a fast track of economic development.

But David said most people in Hong Kong felt a stroke and worried about their future, when the British government announced in 1986 that Hong Kong people's British Dependent Territories citizenship (BDTC) status ceased to exit after midnight 1 July, 1997, the time Hong Kong starts a new era with its motherland.

Hong Kong people began to replan their life and getting a BNO passport is the least way for self protection since a BNO holder can travel around 88 countries or regions without applying for a visa while the passport of newly established Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) can only provide about 4 visa-free accesses.

David remembered on 31 March, 1996, the last day for BNO application, when over 50,000 Hong Kong people queuing over night in Wan Chai as if they are grasping a straw of hope.

However, ten years later, the number of BNO holders in Hong Kong reduced from 3 million to 1.5 million and people like David who used to travel with their BNO passport now begin to take their HKSAR passports with them.

"The reason is convenience, convenience and convenience," David said, "HKSAR passport now can provide free-visa access to about 134 countries or regions. Besides, since Hong Kong has become part of China, Hong Kong people is naturally recognized as Chinese when traveling overseas. Taking a HKSAR passport with me thus become the most convenient and natural way to identify myself."

According to statistics from Immigration Department of HKSAR, the number of HKSAR passport holders was 1.85 million in 2003, five years after Hong Kong's return to its motherland and the number increased to over 4 million this year, when Hong Kong is preparing a big celebration for its10th anniversary of returning.

David admitted, "Using HKSAR passport doesn't mean patriotic, instead Hong Kong people are more pragmatic. They won't believe anything until they see the fact."

"We choose HKSAR passports because they are more convenient, we choose stay in Hong Kong because it is more alive and prosperous. Perhaps what we haven't realized is that in the process of making those choices we become closer to our motherland," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2007)