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[Draft Press Line, if raised]
WHY A CONSULATE-GENERAL/WHY NOT AN EMBASSY?
- After 1 July 1997, when Hong Kong becomes a Special Administrative Region of China, the representation of British interests in the SAR will be the responsibility of a Consulate-General, under the British Embassy in Peking.
IF IT'S READY IN LATE 1995/EARLY 1996, WHAT HAPPENS UNTIL 1997?
- The various British offices in Hong Kong (Trade Commission, Office of the British Senior Representative, Sino-British Joint Liaison Group, British Council etc) will occupy the building once it is ready. The Consulate-General will come into being on 1 July 1997.
WILL THE BCG PROVIDE CONSULAR PROTECTION FOR BRITISH PASSPORT HOLDERS IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997?
- The Consulate-General will provide the normal range of services to visitors from Britain after 1997.
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In the case of people of ethnic Chinese origin who hold British National (Overseas) passports after that date, we understand it is the policy of the Government of the PRC to regard them as Chinese nationals.
- In the case of dual-nationals, it would not normally be our practice to seek to exercise consular protection on behalf of British nationals in the country of their other nationality.
Nevertheless, where we have grounds for doing so, we are willing to approach the Chinese authorities. We have done so repeatedly in the cases of Hong Kong residents detained in China for political offences. All have, as far as we are aware, now been released.
- We will continue to take up such cases in future.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO UKREP JLG?
- Under the Joint Declaration of 1984, the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group will continue until the year 2000. The Office of the British Senior Representative will move into the new building when it is ready and operate from there until 2000.
WHY A NEW BUILDING/WHY NOT STICK WITH PRESENT ACCOMMODATION?
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In 1988 the then Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher, decided that after 1997 Britain's official representation in Hong Kong should be housed in a single, prestige building, as a mark of the importance HMG attaches to its continued interest in the territory.
- It will bring together the British Trade Commission, the Office of the British Senior Representative to the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group, the FCO Procurement Unit (which provides furnishings and equipment to British missions in the Asian region), and provide immigration, consular and passport services (currently provided by HK Immigration Department). It has been decided that the British Council
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