TNAG-1407-FCO40-1882-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 12

GRS 120

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 22120OZ FCO

TELNO 2615

OF 221055Z NOVEMBER 85

INFO DESKBY 22120OZ PEKING

15h 040/28

# 0935

MY TELNO 2613 : PRESS CONFERENCE BY XU JIATUN: BNO PASSPORTS.

1. IN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS FROM COMMERCIAL RADIO AND THE CHING PO, XU IS RECORDED IN THE WEN WEI PO'S FULL TRANSCRIPT AS HAVING.

REPLIED:

''THE PASSPORT QUESTION IS ONE RAISED BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. AT PRESENT, AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, THE 2 SIDES ARE STUDYING THE MATTER. SO FAR AS WE KNOW, THE DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN VARIOUS DEPARMENTS OF THE TWO SIDES HAVE GONE WELL AND IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO REACH A SOLUTION AT THE 2ND MEETING OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP IN PEKING ON 26 NOVEMBER. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, UPHOLDING ITS PRINCIPLES, WILL PAY ATTENTION TO THE WISHES OF SEVERAL MILLION HONG KONG COMPATRIOTS AND DEAL WITH THIS QUESTION IN A FLEXIBLE MANNER.''

YOUDE

HONG KONG AGREEMENT

LIMITED

HD/HKD HD/FED

HD/PLANNING STAFF HD/PUSD

DEP HD/PUSD

RES B (MR WALKER)

PS

PS/MR RENTON

PS/PUS

SIR W HARDING

MR WILSON

SIR J FREELAND

MR J CROWLEY PUSD

COPIES TO: (VIA ADR)

MR ROBERTS NEWS DEPT MR FIFOOT LEGAL ADVS MR MARTIN ASST STAFF

CABINET OFFICE

MR MALLABY CABINET OFFICE MR DRC CHRISTOPHER

CABINET OFFICE SIR P CRADDOCK NO 10 DOWNING ST. MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS

341