4.52
THIS SECTION ATTRACTED CONSIDERABLE COMMENT
WHICH CONCENTRATED ON :
4.53
4.54
THE DEFINITION OF CHINESE NATIONALS
THE RECOGNITION OF THE HK SAR AND NEW
BRITISH PASSPORTS BY OTHER COUNTRIES
RIGHT AND FREEDOM OF EMIGRATION
IMPORTANT POINTS MADE WERE :
THE TERM '! 'CHINESE NATIONALS' WAS TOO NEBULOUS AND
NEEDED CLARIFICATION. QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW ETHNIC
CHINESE HOLDING FOREIGN PASSPORTS, AND THOSE OF
MIXED PARENTAGE WOULD BE TREATED IN RESPECT OF
NATIONAL STATUS AND CONSULAR PROTECTION NEEDED TO
BE ANSWERED:
WORLDWIDE RECOGNITION MUST BE GIVEN TO THE NEW
BRITISH PASSPORT AND THE HK SAR PASSPORTS IF
FREEDOM OF TRAVEL WAS TO BE GUARANTEED. THE NEW
PASSPORTS SHOULD BE ISSUED AND IN CIRCULATION WELL BEFORE 1997, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM
GOVERNMENT AND THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP SHOULD TAKE ACTIVE STEPS TO ENSURE THEY BECAME
ACCEPTABLE INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL DOCUMENTS:
THE UNITED KINGDOM SHOULD TAKE THE LEAD IN
RECOGNISING THE STATUS OF THE NEW PASSPORTS BY
WAIVING VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR THOSE HOLDERS
WISHING TO VISIT THE UNITED KINGDOM: AND
THE RIGHT AND FREEDOM OF EMIGRATION AFTER 1997
SHOULD BE CLEARLY STATED.
OTHER POINTS MADE CONCERN:
THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE IMMIGRATION QUOTA STANDING
IN HONG KONG'S NAME AS APPROVED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES
WOULD CONTINUE TO BE RESERVED EXCLUSIVELY FOR HONG
KONG SHOULD BE CLARIFIED:
THE CRITERIA FOR NATURALISATION SHOULD BE RELAXED SO
THAT MORE HOLDERS OF CERTIFICATES OF IDENTITY COULD
BECOME BDTCS BEFORE 1997 IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT
BDTCS WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR BOTH THE NEW BRITISH
PASSPORT AND THE HK SAR PASSPORT: AND
PART 2
TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN THE HK SAR AND COUNTRIES
WITH NO DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE PRC SHOULD BE
MAINTAINED.
SECRET-41
/ANNEX