TNAG-1356-FCO40-1797-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 37

345

GRS 1300

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2634

OF 300445Z NOVEMBER 85

HKK 011/1

FREC

DE...

· 4 DEC 1985

INFO IMMEDIATE TOKYO (FOR WILSON), PEKING

AjB 1/2

PA

Put oy,

JOINT LIAISON GROUP : PRESS.

1. TODAY'S WEN WEI PO, IN ADDITION TO COVERING THE CHINESE SIDE'S PRESS CONFERENCE, GIVES IN QUESTION AND ANSWER FORM DETAILS OF WHAT THE BRITISH SIDE SAID TO JOURNALISTS AFTER THE MEETING (NO NAMES ARE GIVEN). TRANSLATION OF THE REPORT IS AS FOLLOWS:

Q: WILL HK PEOPLE BE ABLE TO OBTAIN BOTH THE BNO PASSPORT AND THE

SAR PASSPORT AFTER 1997?

A: IF YOU READ THE JOINT DECLARATION CAREFULLY, YOU CAN SEE THAT

AFTER 1997 HK PEOPLE CAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION OBTAIN BOTH OF THESE PASSPORTS.

Q: TODAY'S COMMUNIQUE REFERS TO TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION'' NOT TO

''PASSPORTS''. WHAT DOES THIS IMPLY FOR THE NATIONALITY OF THOSE WHO HOLD THIS TYPE OF DOCUMENT?

A: EVERY PASSPORT IS A TRAVEL DOCUMENT. A PASSPORT DOES NOT CONFER

NATIONALITY, BUT ON THE CONTRARY A PERSON WHO HOLDS A PASSPORT FIRST HAS THE NATIONALITY AND THEN ON THE BASIS OF THAT CAN APPLY FOR A PASSPORT. A PASSPORT REFLECTS NATIONALITY AND DOES NOT CONFER NATIONALITY ON THE HOLDER.

THE REFERENCE IN THE COMMUNIQUE TO TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION'' IS BECAUSE WE DID NOT ONLY DISCUSS PASSPOPTS, WE ALSO TOUCHED UPON OTHER TRAVEL DOCUMENTS SUCH AS THE C1.

Q: IS IT TRUE THAT DETAILS OF THE BNO PASSPORT WILL NOT BE

ANNOUNCED BEFORE MARCH 1986?

A: IT IS HOPED TO ANNOUNCE IT BEFORE MARCH (NOTE: IT IS UNDERSTOOD

THAT AN ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE MADE IN CONNECTION WITH A PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE IN DECEMBER).

Q: DID YOU DISCUSS THE QUESTION OF TRAVEL DOCUMENTS FOR NON-CHINESE

HONG KONG RESIDENTS?

A: YES. NON-CHINESE MAY APPLY FOR THE BOC PASSPORT.

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