GRS 400
CONFIDENTIAL
FM MANILA
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELNO 549
OF 200341Z NOVEMBER 86
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK 340/1
REGISTRY
RECEIVER
12 DEC 1986
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, PEKING-
1090)
ctn laken
тёл
YOUR TELNO 2639 TO HONG KONG PARAGRAPH 6: HONG KONG: INTERNATIONAL
ACCEPTANCE OF BN (0) PASSPORTS.
1. WHEN I SAW ASSISTANT MINISTER GONZALES ON 19 NOVEMBER SHE SAID THAT SINCE OUR DISCUSSION ABOUT PASSPORT MATTERS ON 11
NOVEMBER (MY TELELETTER OF 13 NOVEMBER) SHE HAD HEARD THAT THERE HAD
BEEN A RESPONSE FROM THE CHINESE TO PHILIPPINE ENQUIRIES ABOUT OUR AGREEMENT WITH THEM ON BN(0) PASSPORTS. AS REPORTED TO HER, THE CHINESE HAD SAID THAT WHILE THEY WERE CONTENT WITH
THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR BN (0) PASSPORTS, HOLDERS OF THESE PASSPORTS
WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE THEM FOR SAR PASSPORTS AFTER 1 JULY 1997. MRS GONZALES SAID SHE WAS PUZZLED BY THIS SINCE SHE WAS FAMILIAR WITH
THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE EXCHANGE OF MEMORANDA.
I SAID IT SOUNDED TO ME AS THOUGH THERE HAD BEEN SOME MISUNDERSTANDING. IF MRS GONZALES COULD FIND OUT AND LET ME KNOW
EXACTLY WHAT THE CHINESE HAD SAID, I WOULD PURSUE THE MATTER
FURTHER.
COMMENT.
2.
I WILL REPORT AGAIN IF I GET A CLEARER ACCOUNT OF THE
EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE FILIPINOS AND THE CHINESE. THERE APPEARS TO
HAVE BEEN SOME CONFUSION, POSSIBLY ARISING FROM THE WAY IN
WHICH THE FILIPINOS PUT THEIR QUESTION TO THE CHINESE (WHO MAY
HAVE FELT OBLIGED TO RESTATE THEIR POSITION ON THE NATIONALITY
OF HONG KONG CHINESE). BUT AS SEEN FROM HERE THE RISK OF
MISUNDERSTANDINGS IS QUITE HIGH AND REINFORCES THE CASE FOR
SEEKING AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE SOON ON HOW THEY WILL
RESPOND TO SUCH ENQUIRIES FROM THIRD GOVERNMENTS.
MCLAREN
MGSMAN 3965
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: NATIONALITY
LIMITED
HD/HKD
HD/FED
HD/NTD
RESEARCH D (MR WALKER)
DEP HD/PUSD
PS
PS/R RENTON
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
MR WILSON
MR BARRINGTON
COPIES TO:
MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT MR FIFOOT,
LEGAL ADVISERS
LEGAL ADVISERS
MR PLANT,
MR D MCDOUGALL, MVD
MR LYON, HOME OFFICE
MR EMERY, B4 DIV, HOME OFFICE, CROYDON MR NICHOLSON, PASSPORT DEPT, HOME OFFICE
ROOM 236, CLIVE HOUSE.
MR MCDONOUGH, B2 DIV, HOME OFFICE
CONFIDENTIAL
1094