'7
The programme has started, with the passing of rde-in-Council in Britain. I can report that it is going very smoothly with more people coming forward for BN(0) than ever before, many coming in advance of their age-slot, which is fine. In fact I would urge those of you who want to fully integrate in Hong Kong by taking out the BN(0), if you have not done already, not to wait for your time-slots either.
The Hong Kong SAR Passport
What is often forgotten in all this is that it was always clear from the Joint Declartion that the long-term passport will be a Chinese/Hong Kong Special Administrative Region one, to match HK's future as part of China under one country, two systems. The BN(0) itself is only residual and transitional. In this sense it is perhaps fortunate that these recent, resolved arguments over the BN (0) phased registration programme have led some politicians and the press to focus on the more important long-term subject of future travel documents.
We have said that the Hong Kong Government is ready to help with the necessary preparation for these documents to have them ready for issue on 1 July 1997. We are also prepared to negotiate Visa Abolition Agreements with all third countries for the HKSAR passport together with the BN (0) passport in advance of 1997. It is presumably in the Chinese Government's interests as well as those of Hong Kong travellers that the status of the HKSAR passport is well known by 1997 as an alternative to (as well as the inevitable long-term replacement of) the BN(0).
This is not of immediate urgency, but normally such preparations for new travel documents require at least a year or two's lead-time. And the BN (O) phased programme means that some age-groups are having to decide soon as to whether they want to travel on a BN(O) after 1997, so it would be preferable if they know the full details of the additional, normal passport in advance. This would presumably be the long-term option also for those non-Chinese who, logically, with their choice of Hong Kong as their permanent home, become integrated more fully with the rest of its people's future (as emigrants to other countries follow those countries' future). This is not to underplay the request for full British citizenship on the basis of past colonial loyalty; but it must be realistic advice for the future for all Hong Kong people, as just one of the many natural consequences of Hong Kong's post-colonial life.
Conclusion
T could detail a number of other immigration and nationality issues, but I think by covering the main ones I have given a sufficient overview, and have indeed probably taken up too much of your time. i will of course, however, try to answer any questions you have on those matters as long as they are not too technical in which case 1 may have to refer you to the Immigration Department I'm afraid. Thank you for inviting me. And thank you for listening to me, anyway.
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TOTAL P.08