CONFIDENTIAL
BACKGROUND NOTE
PART I
A.
Exclusion of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom/Japan Visa Abolition Agreement of 2 November 1962.
The negotiations with the Japanese Authorities in 1962,
which led to the Visa Abolition Agreement in that year, were
conducted with the prime intention on the part of both
Governments to ease the restriction on travel between Japan
and the United Kingdom. Her Majesty's Government did not ask
that Hong Kong be excluded from the Agreement, but the Japanese
made it clear from the outset of the negotiations (on an
informal and confidential basis) that they were not keen to
extend any agreement with the U.K. to include Hong Kong.
However, it was accepted by both Governments that visa
abolition arrangements for H.M.G.'s dependent territories,
including Hong Kong, could be the subject of further
negotiations at a later date if so required.
2.
There is no reason to think that the Japanese will be
any less reluctant now to admit holders of Hong Kong passports
without a visa than they were in 1962, but the Hong Kong
Government has expressed the wish that the matter should be
taken up with them with a view to obtaining an informal
reciprocal visa waiver arrangement and has specified the
concessions that it would be prepared to offer to Japanese
nationals.
3. This suggestion is accordingly being put to the
Japanese through the British Embassy in Tokyo and it is
CONFIDENTIAL
/understood