TNAG-1407-FCO40-1882-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 186

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FM HONG KONG

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TELNO 2313

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Action Taken

OF 241100Z OCTOBER 85

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, OTTAWA

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MY TWO IPT'S AND YOUR TELNO 1636 : HONG KONG AGREEMENT:

ACCEPTABILITY OF 3N(0) PASSPORTS

M

1. IF BEFORE OR DURING MP RENTON'S VISIT THE NEW BREAKS THAT CANADIAN LAW MAY NOT ALLOW THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT TO RECOGNISE BN(0) PASSPORTS IT IS IMPORTANT THAT HE SHOULD HAVE A CONVINCING ANSWER TO PRESS QUESTIONS. A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WITH CLOSE RELATIVES IN CANADA ARE LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED AND THESE DIFFICULTIES MAY BE ADDUCED AS EVIDENCE BY CRITICS OF THE PASSPORT ARRANGEMENTS, THAT THE BNO PASSPORT WILL BE AM

INFERIOR DOCUMENT.

2. AS YOU WILL BE AWARE FROM PRESS REPORTS, ANOTHER MAJOR ISSUE HERE IS THAT BN(0)S SHOULD NOT (NOT) HAVE TO PRESENT IDENTITY CARDS AS WELL AS PASSPORTS TO GAIN ENTRY TO THIRD COUNTRIES. THE AMERICAN CONSULATE IS REPORTED IN TODAY'S SCMP AS HAVING MADE THE FOLLOWING ANNOUNCEMENT.

**THE AMERICAN CONSULATE'S UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WHEN THE PLANNED DN(0) PASSPORT COMES INTO USE IN 1937 IT WILL BE VALID BY ITSELF FOR ENTRY INTO HONG KONG, IN THIS CASE, THE EN(0) PASSPORT BY ITSELF WILL MEET US REQUIREMENTS. IF AT SOME FUTURE TIME THE AUTHORITIES IN HONG KONG REQUIRE PRESENTATION OF BOTH A BN(C) PASSPORT AND A HONG KONG IDENTITY CARD FOR ENTRY INTO HONG KONG, THE TWO DOCUMENTS TOGETHER WOULD ALSO MEET US CRITERIA.

、,

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MAY ALSO CAST DOUBT ON WHETHER THE PASSPORT WILL BE ACCEPTABLE ON ITS OWN. (ON THIS POINT SEE M.1.P.T.

).

3. IF THE QUESTION OF ACCEPTANCE BY CANADA IS RAISED, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT MR RENTON SHOULD BE IN A POSITION TO STATE THAT HNG IS ALREADY IN TOUCH WITH THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT AND SEEKING THEIR CO-OPERATION. WE SUGGEST THAT EITHER OTTAWA BE ASKED TO RAISE THE ISSUE IMMEDIATELY WITH THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT OR THAT YOU DO SO WITH THE CANADIAN HIGH COMMISSION IN LONDON. IF YOU AGREE. WE WOULD TAKE PARALLEL ACTION WITH THE CANADIAN COMMISSIONER NORE,

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