TAA
ثقة
соз
Our Ref
SBCR 8/2091/89 Pt 2
D..
* Your Ref
(93)
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT
LOWER / RENT HOAO HONG ONG
Requested Hong Kong
to send this tous.
11 August 1993
The Honourable Howard Young JP
Degislative Councillor
Legislative Council Building 8 Jackson Road, Central
Hong Kong
Dean Howant,
Thank you for your fax of 9 August.
It is true that there are moves afoot, as part of Europe's unification measures, to create a common visa area as you describe.
This is good news from the point of view of those who at present require visas for more than the country they are visiting first, e.g. those going to France and Germany. Such a unifying move would, therefore, be beneficial for Hong Kong tourists who, I gather, tend to visit a range of European countries.
It is, however, bad news for those who only intend to visit one of the countries you mention, Italy, Spain, Benelux and Greece.
Britain itself is not a member of the nine Schengen Convention states which are initiating this move; neither is Denmark (which already requires visas from us) nor Eire (which does not). It is not, therefore, an European Community move per se. The British Government are not privy to the detailed plans; they were only apprised, through us, of the Spanish move you mention; and they have not seen even a draft of the common visa list, which is not, we gather finalised.
However, what we do know is that this is in no way directed at Hong Kong, nor is it even related to Bong Kong. A large number of other non-European countries will apparently be on this list, including, for example, South American countries on which Spain might be loth to impose a visa regime.
/We are