fue.
HORA
(64)
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK 048/28
June 1985
JDI Boyd Esq
Political Adviser
HONG KONG
Dear Juhu
INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF BN (0) PASSPORTS
1.
We have begun consideration of how to implement Ministerial commitments to do all that we can to ensure international acceptability of BN (0) passports.
2.
Having consulted NTD, we think that we could best achieve our aims by adopting the procedures which were used to explain the new categories of nationality created by the BNA (1981) to overseas governments and to missions in London. We would ask our overseas posts to transmit Third Person Notes to their host governments to explain the new status. Concurrently, we would brief missions in London on the same lines. We think we should couple this briefing with approaches at the political level in key countries to emphasise the importance of the successful introduction of BN (0) status to confidence in Hong Kong and to ask for an act of political will from the countries concerned.
3.
The enclosed copies of the circulars which we issued before the BNA (1981) came into force give the flavour of what we have in mind. Our notes on BN (0) status would be shorter and could combine all the nationality and passport aspects. We envisage the main points as being:
(a) A general explanation of how and when BN (0) status will be acquired and BDTC status lost;
(b) What the term BN (0)
term BN (O) implies;
(c) How we intend to treat, as applying to holders of BN (0) status, the provisions of international agreements or arrangements to which the UK is a party and which encompass various categories of British nationals in general or specific terms. (See for a general guide,
CONFIDENTIAL