GRS 400
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 3604
OF 31112OZ OCTOBER 86
INFO PRIORITY BRAZILIA
TOP COPY Q DUST 7
Cic
100 31.
Restricted
CK BACKI RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
- 3 NOV 1986
фтек,
Y
12
INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTACCE OF BN (0) PASSPORTS.
THIS MORNING MR STEVEN KUO, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION, CALLED ON MINISTER (FOR SUCH AS HIS RANK), THE BRAZILIAN CONSUL- GENERAL IN HONG KONG AND MR RALPH PETER HENDERSON, HIS DEPUTY.
MR KUO SAID THAT WE WERE ALL VERY ENCOURAGED BY THE POSITIVE
RESPONSE THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE BRAZILIAN MINISTRY OF
FOREIGN AFFAIRS HAD GIVEN TO OUR AMBASSADOR IN BRAZILIA, WHICH WAS REINFORCED BY THE IMMEDIATE ASSURANCE GIVEN TO MR DAVID GOWAN BY
MR JADIEL DE OLIVEIRA. MR KUO THANKED THE MINISTER FOR THE CLEAR
REFLECTION OF HONG KONG'S SITUATION CONTAINED IN THE MINISTER'S REPORT TO BRAZILIA SO THAT THEY HAD NO PROBLEM IN APPREICATING
READILY HOW THE NEW PASSPORT CAME ABOUT.
THE MINISTER SAID THE LONGER HE STAYS IN HONG KONG THE BETTER
AWARE HE BECAME OF HOW MUCH HE STILL HAD TO LEARN TO HAVE A
REASONABLE UNDERSTANDING OF THE MANY COMPLEXITIES OF HONG KONG LIFE.
HE ASSURED MR KUO THAT HE FORESAW NO DIFFICULTIES WITH THE NEW
PASSPORT. HOWEVER, HE WANTED TO TAKE NO CHANCE AND INTENDED TO MAKE A COMPREHENSIVE AND PERSUASIVE REPORT TO BRAZILIA.
ONE OF HIS WORRIES WERE THAT BRITISH CONSULAR OFFICERS AND CHINESE CONSULAR OFFICERS MIGHT CONTEND ONE WITH THE OTHER TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITIES FOR DISTRESSED BNO'S IN BRAZILIA. HE, HOWEVER, ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF ANY HONG KONG PASSPORT HOLDER NEEDING CONSULAR HELP OR PROTECTION IN BRAZIL MR KUO POINTED OUT
THAT CONSULAR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE COULD ONLY BE GIVEN WHEN ALL OTHER POSSIBLE SOURCES OF HELP HAD BEEN TRIED. THE BRITISH CONSULATE
WOULD NOT OBJECT TO HELP BEING SOUGHT OR GIVEN BY THE BRAZILIAN
CHINESE COMMUNITY OR INDEED BY CHINESE CONSULAR OFFICER. ONLY THE
TAIWAN UNOFFICIAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES TRIED TO COMPETE WITH
CONSULATES OF THE PRCG. MANY COUNTRIES, INCLUDING PORTUGAL, ALLOW FOR MULTIPLE NATIONALITIES AND THE PROBLEM THE MINISTER HAD
MENTIONED COULD EXIST WITH ANY PERSON WHO WAS A DUAL NATIONAL. THE
PROBLEM WAS HARDLY PERCULIAR TO BNCS.
Restricted
/MINISTER