Question: You talked yesterday about policy issues with John Major, about the need to spread liberal visa regimes for SAR passport holders around the place. What different approaches might be being made at the moment to these countries, given that we still are in limbo over China's refusing to define right of abode at this stage?
Chris Patten: We are still to a degree in limbo. Obviously everyone is hoping that during his visit to Hong Kong Director Lu Ping will set out in detail what the Chinese are proposing on right of abode, and that he will recognise the importance of discussing that as soon as possible with the Hong Kong government, because we obviously have the expertise in managing immigration policy and it is the Hong Kong Immigration Department which will have to implement whatever proposals are finally put forward.
I also hope that Director Lu will make as liberal and generous a gesture as the British Government did with its decision on visa-free access.
Now, I think that what we are looking for is discussions with priority countries, and we are obviously looking for a range of possibilities. Some, one knows in advance, would be very reluctant to accept a visa-free regime, but one would be hoping for as liberal a regime as possible. It is a question of horses for courses.
I also believe that it is exceptionally important to avoid any suggestion of reciprocity when we talk about visa-free access. Hong Kong itself has, I suppose, as open access as anyone in the world, and if we were to start insisting that everybody else did exactly what we did or else had to accept a visa regime, we would find ourselves in the impossible position of, for instance, getting over one million Japanese tourists to apply for visas to come to Hong Kong. It would be very bad for us in business terms, and it would be very bad for Hong Kong and its reputation as an international city.
We need to pursue the objective energetically. It will vary from one country to another, and I think at all costs we should avoid wandering round international capitals with a blunderbuss called 'reciprocity' under our arm.
Question: Are you going to wander round international capitals in terms of a lobbying campaign per se?
Chris Patten: Yes, we will be pursuing things with the help of British Embassies around the world, and I am sure that it is an area where Britain and China should work in harmony.
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