TNAG-1386-FCO40-1834-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 237

SING TAO JIH PAO SAID BRITAIN'S CONCERN FOR HK PEOPLE SHOULD BE WELCOMED AND APPRECIATED. IN THEORY, THE NEW PASSPORT COULD PROVIDE A GUARANTEE FOR THE FREEDOM OF TRAVEL FOR MORE THAN 3 MILLION HK PEOPLE AFTER 1997. THE PAPER FELT THAT WHAT WAS MORE VALUABLE WAS THE FORMAT FOR THE NEW PASSPORT, WHICH WOULD BE DIRECTLY ISSUED BY THE FCO. BRITAIN'S PLEDGE THAT IT WOULD SEEK VISA EXEMPTION FROM OTHER COUNTRIES FOR BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS SHOWED THAT THE NEW PASSPORT WOULD HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL STATUS. ALTHOUGH IT REMAINED DOUBTFUL WHETHER BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS WOULD BE RECOGNISED BY THE SAR GOVERNMETNT AFTER 1997 AND WHETHER THERE WAS ANY NEED FOR SAR RESIDENTS TO HOLD EN(0) PASSPORTS, THE PAPER SAID THE PROBLEM COULD EASILY BE RESOLVED IF HK PEOPLE WOULD OPT FOR EITHER PASSPORT AFTER 1997.

AGREEING THAT THE WHITE PAPER CONTAINED NOTHING NEW APART FROM ANNOUNCING THE DATE FOR THE ISSUE OF THE NEW PASSPORT, WAH KIU YAT PO URGED BRITAIN TO DO ITS BEST TO SEEK THE RECOGNITION OF THE NEW PASSPORT BY THIRD COUTRIES. THE PAPER REGRETTED THAT THE WHITE PAPER HAD FAILED TO TOUCH ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER BN(C) PASSPORT HOLDERS COULD BE EXEMPTED FROM VISA REQUIREMENTS WHEN ENTERING BRITAIN. IT HOPE THE GOVERNMENT WOULD EXPLAIN VARIOUS POINTS IN THE WHITE PAPER, WHICH WAS FULL OF LEGAL JARGONS, TO RESIDENTS. UNLESS THE LOCAL POPULATION FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE WHITE PAPER, THEY COULD NOT MAKE ANY COMMENTS ON IT.

ALSO CALLING ON BRITAIN TO SEEK THE RECOGNITION AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE NEW PASPORT BY THIRD COUNTRIES, THE EXPRESS ARGUED THAT BRITAIN'S DETERMINATION ON THE NATIONALITY ISSUE SHOWED THAT THE CONSULTATION TO BE CONDUCTED IN HK WOULD ONLY BE A FORMALITY. IT WOULD BE SIMILAR TO THE ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC OPINION AFTER THE JOINT DECLARATION AND BECOME A FAIT ACCOMPLI. THE PAPER MAINTAINED THAT THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS HAD DEVALUED THE ORIGINAL RICHTS OF

BRITISH SUBJECTS IN HK.

THE FINANCIAL DAILY SAID THE STIPULATION THAT BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS WOULD AT THE SAME TIME HOLD HK ID CARDS WAS VERY IMPORTANT

S". IT TECHNICALLY AS IT GAVE MEANING TO THE VAGUE TERM 'OVERSEAS** AGREED WITH WAH KIU AND THE EXPRESS THAT HK PEOPLE WERE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT THE EFFECT OF THE NEW PASSPORT. IT ARGUED THAT THE MEANING OF THE TERM ↑↑ NATIONAL' " WAS VERY VAGUE FROM THE LEGAL

NOT HAVE POINT OF VIEW AS HOLDERS OF THE NEW BN(0) PASSPORT DID

THE RIGHTS OF BRITISH CITIZENS UNDER THE LAW. THERE WERE NO GRONDS FOR BRITAIN TO ASK THIRD COUNTIPES TO ACCEPT THE BN(0) PASSPORT AS A FULLY VALID TRAVEL DOCUMENT IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT HOLDERS OF THE EXISTING BRITISH/HK PASSPOPT HAD TO APPLY FOR A VISA FOR ENTERING BRITAIN. NO MATTER WHAT PASSPORT HK PEOPLE WOULD HOLD, THE ACCEPTABLITIY OF THE PASSPORT BY THIRD CONTRIES DEPENDED ON THE ACCEPTABLITY OF THE FUTURE ID CARD TO BE ISSUED BY THE SAR GOVERNMENT. BRITAIN HAD ISSUED A NEW PASSPORT TO HK PEOPLE, BUT IT DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT GROUNDS TO PERSUADE THIRD COUNTRIES TO ACCEPT THE NEW PASSPORT AS A VALID TRAVEL DOCUMENT. LONG-TERM DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS WERE NEEDED TO ENSURE THE FREEDOM OF TRAVEL OF HK PEOPLE AND THE VALIDITY OF THE NEW PASSPORT AS A TRAVEL DOCUMENT.

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