GRS 400
UNCLASSIFIED
FM NONG KONG
Flaki oudy
Ki
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
11 DEC 1985
DESK OFFICER
TOP COPY
REGISTRY
20
536
TO IMMEDIATE FCO-
TELNO 2745
INDEX
OF 0511152 DECEMBER 85
THE IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDN, PEKING
533
MIRT: WHITE PAPER ON THE DRAFT HONG KONG (BRITISH NATIONALITY) ORDER 1986 : LEGCO ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON 4 DECEMBER : SUMMARY OF
MEDIA COVERAGE.
DETAIL.
A. GRANT OF AUTOMATIC RIGHT OF ENTRY INTO THE UK.
JOHN SWAINE'S APPEAL TO THE UK GOVERNMENT TO GRANT RIGHT OF AUTOMATIC ENTRY INTO UK TO BN (0) PASSPORT HOLDERS SO THAT THE NEW PASSPORT WOULD BE AUTOMATICALLY GOOD FOR TRAVEL TO THE UK WITHOUT THE NEED FOR SPECIFIC PERMISSION'' AND THE WIDE MEASURE OF SUPPORT FOR THIS PROPOSAL FROM OTHER UNOFFICIALS WERE PROMINENTLY COVERED.
MARTIN LEE'S REMARKS THAT THE ''PRESENT PACKAGE IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH**
AND THAT HE WOULD ONLY RECOMMENDAT TO HONG KONG PEOPLE IF THE
UK GOVERNMENT ENDORSED ON IT A STATEMENT THAT THE HOLDER HAS
AUTOMATIC PERMISSION TO ENTER THE UK WERE ALSO WIDELY COVERED.
SEVERAL PAPERS AND THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA REPORTED THAT UNOFFICIALS
ASKED FOR THE UK GOVERNMENT TO REMOVE VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR HONG
KONG PEOPLE VISITING THE UK. MP ALFRED DUBS, MP, WAS REPORTED BY
SOME PAPERS AS SAYING THAT THE PROPOSAL WAS UNLIKELY TO BE
ACCEPTABLE TO THE UK GOVERNMENT.
B. ACCORD ON WORDING OF RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT.
BARONESS YOUNG'S REPLY TO LORD GEDDES' QUESTION AND THE. AG'S
CONFIRMATION THAT ACCORD ON THE WORDING HAD BEEN REACHED WERE
WIDELY COVERED.
C. ACCEPTABILITY OF BN(0) PASSPORT.
THE AG'S DISCLOSURE THAT THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY HAD HELD
INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS WITH A NUMBER OF CONSULAR PEPRESENTATIVES IN
HONG KONG AND THAT, IN THE LIGHT OF THE DISCUSSION, THE GOVERNMENT WAS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTABILITY OF THE NEW
PASSPORT WERE WIDELY COVERED ALONG WITH UNOFFICIALS' APPEAL FOR
EVERY EFFORT TO BE MADE TO MAKE THE NEW PASSPORT AS EFFECTIVE AS
THE PRESENT BDTC PASSPORT.
D. GRANT OF RIGHT OF ABODE TO NON-CHINESE BDTCS.
UNOFFICIALS' IMPASSIONED APPEALS WERE WIDELY COVERED. MANY
PAPERS ALSO REPORTED THE INDIAN REPPESENTATIVES WHO ATTENDED THE
DEBATE AS SAYING THAT THEY WERE SATISFIED AND GRATEFUL FOR
UNOFFICIALS' PLEA ON THEIR BEHALF.
√E.
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