TNAG-0278-FCO40-314-Visit-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Aff-1970 — Page 17

14

CONFIDENTIAL

8. Mr. Stewart said that he would take careful note of what had been said. He hoped that it was not felt that our approach to the EEC or our decision to withdraw our forces from East of Suez betokened any slackening of interest in Britain in the rest of the world. Britain, as a strong and prosperous member of the EEC, would be of more use to Hong Kong than if she remained outside.

Passports

9. Sir Albert Rodrigues said that they appreciated the United Kingdom's difficulties over immigration. They wondered however why the holders of Hong Kong passports were excluded from the Visa Abolition Agreement with Japan. The Japanese said that the United Kingdom had asked for this exclusion. Mr. Stewart said that the Japanese were wrong on this. Britain could not compel other countries to admit holders of Hong Kong passports without visas. As he understood it holders of Hong Kong passports were in the same situation as other Commonwealth citizens for the purpose of coming to Britain to settle, and in the case of visits he presumed that there was no difficulty. The real problem was that some foreign countries would not admit Hong Kong citizens without visas.

10. Mr. Gordon said that Hong Kong was a good customer of Japan and if Mr. Stewart would make further representations to the Japanese Government, they would also take it up on their side. Mr. Stewart said that he would take this up again.

11. Mr. Kan said that there were also problems with other countries, for example India. Moreover the regulations for entry into the United Kingdom were operated by the Hong Kong Director of Immigration; and yet when he, one of the advisers of the Governor, had asked to see the instructions he had been told that they were confidential to the British and Hong Kong Governments.

12. Dr. Chung said that the Federal German Republic required visas for Hong Kong citizens because the United Kingdom required entry certificates. And the Germans were reluctant to allow Hong Kong citizens in for fear that they would not be accepted in Britain if it came to repatriation. It was easier to get a United States visa than a United Kingdom entry certificate. Could not the granting of these certificates be simplified and the need to produce evidence of travellers' bona fides waived? Mr. Kan said that it was not strictly necessary to obtain a United Kingdom entry certificate, but if you did not have one, you might be subjected to some inconvenience. Mr. Gordon said that the real difficulties arose in the case of Japan and the Federal Republic of Germany. In the course of general discussion it was agreed that the Germans had altered their practice following the Commonwealth Immigration Act and that as late as 1969 several European countries, for example Austria, had been willing to admit holders of Hong Kong passports without visas.

13. Sir Cho-yiu Kwan asked whether representations could be made on behalf of Hong Kong to Japan and the Federal Republic. Mr. Lee made the point that entry certificates were restricted to one journey within six months of issue, whereas one could obtain visas valid for a number of journeys and several years for entry into the United States. Could not entry certificates be given a longer validity?

14.

Mr. Stewart said that he would see what could be done. We could not compel foreign countries to admit foreign citizens without visas.

CONFIDENTIAL