Hong Kong won't
recognize U.K. domestic-partnership law

Although 14 countries have agreed to let gay British citizens register their domestic partnerships at the countries' British consulates, Hong Kong will not be among them. The government there rejected a request to allow British same-sex couples to register their partnerships at the consulate general in the former British colony, now a part of China, reports Deutsche Presse-Agentur. In December 2005 the British government granted gay people the right to create partnerships that give them most of the rights of marriage. Under British law, citizens are allowed to register their partnerships overseas, provided the local government agrees. According to a statement posted today on the British consulate general's Web site, the Hong Kong government decided it was inappropriate to allow such registrations to take place. "We consulted the Hong Kong government to ask if there were any objections to the British Consulate-General Hong Kong registering civil partnerships of eligible same-sex couples under this legislation," the statement said. "The [Hong Kong government] has informed us that it does not consider it appropriate to agree to the registration of civil partnerships of same-sex couples at the British Consulate-General Hong Kong at present." There are hundreds of thousands of British and British national passport holders in Hong Kong, which has a population of 6.8 million. After being ruled by Britain for 156 years, Hong Kong reverted back to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. (The Advocate)