CONFIDENTIAL
23.
But the Japanese are still dragging their feet over this
issue. Their continued insistence on a very restrictive definition of business visitors which would exclude all but 2 or 3% of Hong
Kong companies (and any businessman who had taken up his job with
his current employer less than 3 years before applying for a visa) is very disappointing. Their wish to insert a cut-off date in 1994
would also make the agreement considerably less attractive in
presentational terms. It would appear that the blockage has
occurred in the Ministry of Justice. The Embassy in Tokyo believe that the MFA might welcome an approach on this issue as a way of putting pressure on the Ministry of Justice.
24. Although this is a relatively minor technical issue, the Hong Kong Government would find it helpful if the Secretary of State could mention it to Nakayama as a small but useful step which Japan could take to promote confidence in Hong Kong.
Far Eastern Department
5 September 1990