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Acceptance of BN (0) passports by third countries
Government recognise that this has been a continuing major
concern in Hong Kong and in the House. In accordance with undertaking given during debates on Hong Kong Nationality Order in Council in 1986, we mounted a major worldwide diplomatic exercise
before introduction of the passport on 1 July 1987 to explain new
status and passport to third countries. We are confident that this exercise has successfully clarified the issue to third countries.
Passport has now been in circulation for over six months. Over 18,000 people are already travelling on it without encountering problems. If anyone were to encounter difficulties, we would act quickly to ensure these were resolved.
True that more people are still applying for Hong Kong BDTC passports than for BN (0) passports (67,000 as against 18,000 in the last six months). But this is understandable and I do not regard it
as at all discouraging.
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We are confident that rate of applications for BN (0) passports
will gradually increase as people come to recognise what a very
useful document it is. It extends beyond 1997 unlike the Hong Kong BDTC passports which are now being issued with an increasingly limited validity and a final expiry date of 30 June 1997.
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