TNAG-0280-FCO40-316-Visit-of-Parliamentary-under-Secretary-of-Foreign-and-Common-1970 — Page 69

CONFIDENTIAL

Note No. 10

Visit of the Parliamentary Under Secretary, Mr. Royle, to Hong Kong, October, 1970

Exclusion of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom/ Japan Visa Abolition Agreement of 2 November

1962.

The negotiations with the Japanese authorities in 1962,

which led to the Visa Abolition Agreement in that year, were

conducted with the prime intention on the part of both

Governments to ease the restriction on travel between Japan and

the United Kingdom. The Japanese made it clear from the outset

of the negotiations (on an informal and confidential basis) that

they were not keen to extend any agreement with the United

Kingdom to include Hong Kong. However, it was accepted by both

Governments that visa abolition arrangements for Her Majesty's

Government's dependent territories, including Hong Kong, could

be the subject of further negotiations at a later date if so

required.

2.

There is no reason to think that the Japanese will be any

less reluctant now tu admit hulders of Hong Kong passpurts without

a visa than they were in 1962, but the Hong Kong Government has

recently expressed the wish that the matter should be taken

up with them with a view tu obtaining an informal reciprocal

visa waiver arrangement and has specified the concessions that it

would be prepared tù uffer to Japanese nationals.

3. This suggestion was accordingly put to the Japanese

through the British Embassy in Tokyo and it is understood that

the Hong Kong authorities are concurrently taking up the matter

informally with the Japanese Consul-General in Hong Kong.

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CONFIDENTIAL