TNAG-1383-FCO40-1831-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 45

COPY

GRS 240

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FROM PEKING 310732Z JULY 85

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1139 OF 31/7/85

HKK 040/:4 RECEIVED REGISTRY

OF

INDEX

1 AUG 1985

-FICER

PA

HEGISTRY

Action Taken

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

190

291

PA

OUR TELNOS 1109 AND 1110 AND HONG KONG TELNO 1534: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RESTRICTED: RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT IN EN(0) PASSPORTS

1. WE DO NOT THINK WE SHOULD TAKE FOR GRANTED CHINESE AGREEMENT TO THE SAR ISSUING PERMANENT ID CARDS BEARING THE SAME NUMBER AS BRITISH HONG KONG PERMANENT ID CARDS WHICH THEY WOULD REPLACE. WE STILL THINK THAT THE BALANCE OF ADVANTAGE LIES IN DELAYING DISCUSSION OF THE POINT UNTIL THE PRINCIPLE OF RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENTS IN BN (0) PASSPORTS HAS BEEN AGREED SO THAT WE AVOID COMPLICATING OUR INITIAL APPROACH MORE THAN ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. BUT, IT IS QUITE LIKELY THAT AFTER CONSIDERATION OF OUR INITIAL PROPOSALS (IF BASED ON THE SPEAKING NOTE IN SECOND PEKING TUR), THE CHINESE WILL THEMSELVES RAISE WITH US THE TWO PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED IN PARAGRAPH 1(H) OF OUR FIRST TUR.

2. ON THE FIRST PROBLEM (LENGTH OF VALIDITY OF PERMANENT ID CARDS), WE COULD RESPOND FACTUALLY IN THE TERMS OF PARAGRAPH 2 OF HONG KONG TUR. ON THE SECOND PROBLEM, (NUMBERING OF ID CARDS) WE SUGGEST THAT WE SHOULD POINT TO THE CONSIDERABLE PRACTICABLE ADVANTAGES OF THE SARG FOLLOWING PRESENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR REPLACING EXPIRED ID CARDS AND EXPRESS THE HOPE THAT THE SARG WOULD SO DECIDE. WE COULD ADD THAT IF THE SARG CHOSE TO GIVE SAR PERMANENT ID CARDS REPLACING HKG PERMANENT ID CARDS A DIFFERENT NUMBER WE SHOULD HAVE TO CONSIDER WAYS OF OVERCOMING THE PROBLEM. ONE ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE A NEW ENDORSEMENT TO BE ENETERED IN BN(0) PASSPORTS.

THOMSON

HONG KONG AGREEMENT : RESTRICTED

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

RESEARCH D (FE)

D/HD PUSD

MR WILSON

COPIES TO:

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS

CONFIDENTIAL

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