RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 201200Z FCO
TELNO 1189
OF 201054Z JULY 93
AND TO IMMEDIATE MADRID
RESTRICTED
HICD 345/3
36
072765 MDHIAN 9441
22 JULI 1953
(34
VISAS FOR EC/SPAIN : MADRID'S TELNO MISC 117 OF 12.7.93
SUMMARY
1. WE ARE VERY CONCERNED TO LEARN THAT SPAIN AND APPARENTLY OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ARE SHORTLY TO REQUIRE VISAS FROM HONG KONG BDTCS AND BN (0)S. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ADVICE ON THE SCHENGEN AGREEMENT. WE WOULD ALSO URGE LOBBYING TO TRY TO REVERSE THIS EFFECT OF IT.
DETAIL
2. YOUR LETTER OF 23 JUNE (P F RICKETTS TO D M EDWARDS) WAS, IT SEEMS, THE FIRST TIME WE WERE ALERTED TO THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS ON VISA-FREE TRAVEL TO HONG KONG BDTC/BN (0)S OF RECENT MOVES TO FURTHER EUROPEAN INTEGRATION. THE LETTER SAID YOU WERE EXAMINING WHAT IF ANYTHING THE EFFECT OF MAASTRICHT WOULD BE ON HONG KONG, BUT SEEMED TO INDICATE THAT AT LEAST UNTIL 1996 HONG KONG WAS NOT IN DANGER OF BEING CUT OFF ANY EUROPEAN COUNTRY'S VISA-FREE LIST BY PRESSURE FROM OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.
3.
HOWEVER NOW WE HAVE ALSO RECEIVED TUR FROM MADRID WHICH SUGGESTS OTHERWISE AND BRINGS INTO THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE VISA RESTRICTIONS AGAINST HKBDTC/BN (0)S. THE SPANISH CONSUL-GENERAL HERE HAS TODAY CONFIRMED BOTH HIS UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS MEASURE WILL BE TAKEN, PROBABLY BY 1 DECEMBER THIS YEAR, BY OTHER SCHENGEN AGREEMENT COUNTRIES NOT NOW REQUIRING VISAS FROM HONG KONG, AND THAT HE INTENDS TO PUBLICISE VERY SOON SPAIN'S DECISION TO IMPOSE SUCH A VISA REQUIREMENT ON 1 OCTOBER THIS YEAR.
IT IS NOT COMPLETELY CLEAR TO US WHETHER THE MOVE AFFECTS ONLY HONG KONG OR WHETHER THE SCHENGEN AGREEMENT WILL SIMILARLY AFFECT AT THE SAME TIME OTHER NON-EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ADVICE AND GUIDANCE ON THE SCHENGEN AGREEMENT AS A WHOLE.
5. WE UNDERSTAND THAT ONE BENEFICIAL EFFECT WILL BE THAT ONE VISA INTO ONE EUROPEAN COUNTRY WILL THEN ALLOW FREE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE