TNAG-1407-FCO40-1882-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 180

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CONFIDENTIAL

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NOT OBLIGATORY. NOR WILL THEY BE OBLIGATORY FOR BN(0) PASSPORT

HOLDERS.

5.

CANADIANS: WE CONSIDER IT WOULD BE WRONG TO GIVE THE

IMPRESSION THAT THERE MAY BE DIFFICULTIES FOR BN(0) PASSPORT

HOLDERS (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) BEFORE 1997. IT IS ONLY AFTER

THAT DATE, WHEN THE UK WILL NO LONGER BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HONG KONG, THAT THE PROBLEMS WHICH BOCS HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH THE CANADIANS MIGHT ARISE. UP TO THEN, THE PASSPORT ISSUING STATE

WILL ALSO BE THE SOVEREIGN STATE. WE WOULD THEREFORE BE MOST

RELUCTANT TO RUSH INTO TALKS IN OTTAWA OR HERE JUST BECAUSE OF MR

RENTON'S VISIT. THIS WOULD GIVE AN IMPRESSION OF PANIC (FOR NO

GOOD CAUSE). WE HAVE ALREADY AGREED THAT THE SECRETARY FOR

SECURITY SHOULD APPROACH THE CANADIAN CONSULATE GENERAL AND OTHER

CONSULATES GENERAL IN HONG KONG TO EXPLAIN THE PROVISIONS IN THE

ORDER IN COUNCIL AND THE LIKELY WORDING OF THE RIGHT OF ABODE

ENDORSEMENT (OUR TELNO 1636). THE CANADIAN POSITION HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE BN(0) STATUS WAS FIRST ANNOUNCED, AND THERE SEEMS NO REASON TO SUPPOSE THAT IT WILL SUDDENLY HIT THE HEADLINES.NOW, BUT IF MR RENTON IS ASKED ABOUT ANY POTENTIAL PROBLEM BN (0) PASSPORT HOLDERS MIGHT HAVE WITH THE CANADIANS, HE CAN SAY THAT WHEN BN(0) STATUS IS CREATED IN 1987 HE WOULD NOT EXPECT ANY PROBLEMS. HE WOULD EXPECT THE TREATMENT ACCORDED TO BDTCS TO BE ACCORDED TO BN(0)S. IF PRESSED, HE COULD ADD THAT WHILE THERE WAS A POSSIBLE PROBLEM AFTER 1997, THERE WAS NO REASON TO SUPPOSE THAT IT COULD NOT BE SUCCESSFULLY RESOLVED. SIMILAR PROBLEMS HAD

BEEN RESOLVED IN THE PAST. INCIDENTALLY WE SHOULD NOT LIKE TO

GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT OUR DIPLOMATIC CAMPAIGN TO SECURE ACCEPTANCE OF BN(0) PASSPORTS IS ALREADY FORMALLY UNDER WAY BEFORE PARLIAMENT HAS AGREED TO THE ORDER IN COUNCIL CREATING A BN(0) STATUS. WE SHOULD RATHER STATE THAT WE ARE EXPLAINING THE PROVISIONS OF THE WHITE PAPER TO OTHER GOVERNMENTS.

6.

LEGCO/PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES: WHILE IT WOULD OF COURSE BE PREFERABLE TO RESOLVE THE QUESTION OF THE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT BEFORE THE DEBATES IN LEGCO/PARLIAMENT WE DO NOT BELIEVE FAILURE TO DO SO WOULD CREATE INSURMOUNTABLE DIFFICULTIES. THE ORDER DOES NOT DEAL WITH PASSPORTS OR THE

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CONFIDENTIAL

ENDORSEMENT

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