TNAG-1406-FCO40-1881-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 11

178

GRS 1000

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 1612OOZ FCO

TELNO 2181

OF 16095OZ OCTOBER 85

CONFIDENTIAL

НИК

040/28

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

17 OCT 1935

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

PA

h Taken

TOP COPY

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INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING.

PASSPORTS AND PERMANENT IDENTITY CARDS.

IF THE FIRST BATCH OF BN(0) PASSPORTS ARE LIKELY TO BE ISSUED

IN TRADITIONAL BLUE, HARD-COVER FORMAT, WILL IT NOT CAUSE CONFUSION

TO IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES WHEN THEY CHANGE TO THE BURGUNDY, SOFT

COMMON FORMAT LATER ON?

34. THE SITUATION AS REGARDS THE CHANGE IN FORMAT OF BN(0) PASSPORT WILL BE NO DIFFERENT FROM THAT REGARDING THE CHANGE IN FORMAT OF BC PASSPORT, OR OF ANY NATIONAL PASSPORT OF EUROPEAN COMMUNITY COUNTRIES. AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY COMMON FORMAT PASSPORT, FOR A WHILE ALL EC COUNTRIES WILL

HAVE AT LEAST TWO TYPES OF PASSPORTS IN CIRCULATION (TRADITIONAL AND NEW BURGUNDY, SOFT). THE ADVANTAGE OF BN(0) PASSPORT BEING ISSUED IN THE EC COMMON FORMAT IS THAT IS WILL BE EASILY

IDENTIFIABLE BY THIRD COUNTRIES AS A PASSPORT ISSUED BY THE UK

GOVERNMENT.

WILL BN(0) PASSPORT HAVE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENTS?

35. THE JOINT DECLARATION PROVIDES THAT RESIDENTS OF THE HK SAR MAY USE TRAVEL DOCUMENTS ISSUED BY THE SARG, OR BY OTHER COMPETENT AUTHORITIES OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, OR OF OTHER STATES AND THAT HOLDERS OF PERMANENT IDENTITY CARDS OF THE HK SAR MAY HAVE THIS FACT STATED IN THEIR TRAVEL DOCUMENTS AS EVIDENCE OF THEIR RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG. BN(0) PASSPORTS WILL BE ENDORSED TO INDICATE THAT THE HOLDER POSSESSES A HONG KONG PERMANENT IDENTITY AS EVIDENCE OF THE HOLDER'S RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG. THE WORDING OF THIS ENDORSEMENT IS BEING DISCUSSED WITH THE

CHINESE GOVERNMENT.

HAVE PROPOSALS REGARDING THE ISSUE OF NEW PERMANENT IDENTITY CARDS STATING THE HOLDER'S RIGHT OF ABODE SEEN DISCUSSED WITH THE

CHINESE GOVERNMENT?

36. THEY ARE BEING DISCUSSED WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT,

WHEN WILL THE UK GOVERNMENT START APPROACHING THIRD COUNTRIES REGARDING THE ACCEPTABILITY OF BN (0) PASSPORTS?

37. THE UK GOVERNMENT HAVE GIVEN UNDERTAKINGS DURING THE HONG KONG DEBATE AND DURING THE PASSAGE OF THE HONG KONG ACT THAT THEY WILL DO ALL THEY CAN TO SECURE, FOR EN(2) PASSPORT HOLDERS, THE SAME

CONFIDENTIAL

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