BY BAG
CR 5/2071/55
RC Samuel Esq
PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
23 November 1972
по
BRITISH PASSPORTS
COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE "HONG KONG"
There have been an increasing number of instances recently of holders of Hong Kong passports being stopped by the Chinese immigration authorities at Shum Chun and having their attention called to the incorrectness of the entry in their passports of "Hong Kong" as their "country of residence"; they are usually asked to bring this inaccuracy to the notice of the Hong Kong authorities on their return. After a harangue, of varying length, about Hong Kong being part of China temporarily administered by the imperialists they have so far always been allowed to proceed into China.
2.
It so happens that, following a similar change in United Kingdom practice, we are about to substitute the word "residence" for "country of residence" in Hong Kong passports. We are taking steps to bring forward the delivery of the new passports containing this entry which are at present due for delivery only in October next year, and the Director of Immigration is investigating the possibility of amending the blank passports containing the old entry and also existing passports as they come into his keeping. We hope therefore that this tiresome irritant vill soon be removed.
3.
We do not suggest that you should volunteer anything to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; we ourselves do not propose to do so to eg. the China Travel Service here. But if we are tackled about this we propose to say that the difficulty arises from obsolete wording in all British passports which is about to be amended. You may perhaps wish to do the same.
сс
CC NATD
(R J Stratton)
a
R BR Hervey Esq (FED FCO). Head of Passport Office.
2214
2
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