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(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
6.
passports? The Home Office tell
me
that Ministers informed Parliament about the new endorsement in November 1983.
In the light of Article 2 of the UK/Mexico VAA and Mrs Lui's 1979 passport as issued, is it likely that our Consulate General offered only to change the endorsement
in the passport? If so, could they have given Mrs Lui any
other kind of assistance, such as an offer to clarify the situation with the Mexican Consulate General?
On what grounds, if any, could the Mexican Consulate reasonably contend that:
(a)
(b)
Hons
would-be visitors to Mexico residing in the US, and holding BDTC passports, needed to write to
to the Ministry of External Affairs in Mexico to obtain visas?
tame kans
a BDTC passport holder resident in the US could obtain a visitor's visa to Mexico only upon presentation of a re-entry permit to the US?
If there are no grounds for the Mexicans' advice as in (iii) (a) and (b) above, would you agree that, as a first step,
our Consulate General in New York might approach their Mexican colleagues to try and clarify the situation?
On the more general point mentioned in my para (b) above, Mrs Dee's letter is to my knowledge, the first we have heard about the difficulties which some Hong Kong BDTC's have encountered when wishing to visit Mexico. This suggests that the 'problem' may be confined to the Mexican Consulate in New York. If it is, I think a tactful low key approach to them might put matters right. We can take this up with New York/ Washington when we write to ask them if they have come across other
similar cases
to Mrs Lui's and Mrs Yau's. Meanwhile these cases have further underlined the need to explain clearly and carefully to overseas governments, at the appropriate time,
(a)
why we are introducing BN (0) BDTC's;
11
(b) what the term "BN ( 0) implies.
passports for Hong Kong
7. It would be useful to us to have a list of other bilateral VAA's Which do not
extend to tiongkong. Could you please provide such a list?
22 July 1985
CC
USC
J S C Priest st Hong Kong Department WH305 233 3722
Miss Veale, NTD (with attachments)
Mr Thompson, MCAD
WIAD}
Mr Cole, Miss Archer, WIAD
with or attachmente
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