TNAG-1405-FCO40-1880-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 134

CONFIDENTIAL

early be counter productive.

It would also cut across Ministerial

commitments to

do

(and,

by

definition,

all that

the

we

can

to ensure

status of

the

that BN (0)

are holders)

passports

accepted

in

third countries.

4.

I

have the following

detailed

amendments

to

your

draft

submission:

Paragraph

"including

Kongers" Hong 4(a): Replace

"including Hong Kong BDTC's";

in

line

3 with

Paragraph 4(e): Replace the present text

of item (e) with:

"Included also will be:

(e)

British

Nationals (Overseas). created by Order in Council, which all persons are BDTC's by virtue of a connection with Hong Kong will be able to acquire (probably from retain for the rest of their lives".

A new

status to be

who

1987) and

Paragraph

10: Replace

the three final sentences of this

para with

the following text:

"Hong Kong

is a particularly sensitive

case.

There

is

strong

of

there suspicion

Sino-British Agreement the

that,

following

the

on

Hong

signature

Kong's future, HMG will distance themselves from Hong Kong. Any decision to issue "second class" passports to British Nationality

these suspicions

considerable difficulties for us.

to Hong Kong

either

(Overseas) s

would

BDTCs

or

fuel

and

create

We would certainly

expect

Executive

strong a

Council to

such whom

a proposal

would

be

adverse reaction from Hong Kong's

wholly unacceptable.

Ministerial

ensure

commitments

We would also undermine

do to

that all

when issued,

that BN(0) passports,

accepted in third countries".

we

can to

are readily

CONFIDENTIAL