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substance there have been legal difficulties and reluctance on the Japanese side to make early progress. When talks resumed in April this year, the Japanese expressed doubts about the likelihood of the Chinese honouring the ASA post-1997 (claiming that their own unofficial soundings had not been encouraging) and sought confirmation that the
agreement would continue beyond that date. We raised this
through the JLG and received confirmation that the Chinese Government's support for the separation process remained firm. Although this has been relayed in writing to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chinese response appears to have been insufficient to satisfy Japanese Ministry of Transport officials, who continue to look for a
written assurance from the Chinese.
7.
The Chinese have no locus to give specific assurances of this sort now and in advance of consideration in the Joint
Liaison Group of action to be taken by the two Governments to ensure the continued application beyond 1997 of international rights and obligations affecting Hong Kong. However, this does not, of course, preclude the Japanese from approaching the Hong Kong and Macao Office of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Peking as they did in April
1988 once again to seek assurance that the Chinese authorities know about, and support, the principles of Hong Kong's agreeing a separated ASA with Japan. The position is, of course, complicated by our difficulties in getting the Chinese to approve initialled texts (of which the
Japanese must have heard).
Multiple Entry Visas
8. We have been negotiating with the Japanese Government since 1988 over a Hong Kong/Japan Multiple Entry Visa Agreement which would facilitate business travel between Hong Kong and Japan. Under this arrangement business visitors would be granted Multiple Entry Visas valid for 3
years.
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