COVERING CONFIDENTIAL
HKC
Reference
345/1
FILE
Ms Brooks
Legal Advisers
1.
2.
We spoke yesterday about Visa Abolition and Hong Kong.
In a nutshell, with 1997 approaching it was going to be difficult to include Hong Kong in any UK Visa abolition agreements. Hong Kong sent us a discussion paper (flag A) which gave three options for handling the Hong Kong aspects.
3. We eventually plumped for option (c) but this of course meant going through JLG with the Chinese, which will be
done.
19
4.
Hong Kong however said they would still like to go for informal, non-legally binding exchanges with some countries,
as had been done in 1984 (?) with Thailand. South Africa
was the first such attempt at this and it was envisaged that Argentina, Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia would be next. Argentina, however, have opted for an exchange with HMG (on behalf of Hong Kong) and this one is being handled by MVD consulting Mr Rankin as necessary.
5. I enclose the initial exchange of telegrams on the South
African visa waver (flag B) which incorporate Mr Fifoot's
views. No entrustment was thought necessary as these
arrangements are non binding.
I hope all of this is of some help but please do not
hesitate to ask if further elaboration is required.
6.
CODE 18-77|
J/K Hague
Hong Kong Department
28 February 1991
FABAPK/1
COVERING CONFIDENTIAL
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