TNAG-1408-FCO40-1883-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 45

་་་་° ;

CONFIDENTIAL

3. THE ACTING COMMISSIONER ALSO DISCLOSED THAT SHE HAD REPORTED

ON THE WORDING OF THE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDOPSEMENT AGREED BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA AND THE LEGCO ADJOURNMENT DEBATE. SHE WAS

CLEARING WITH CANBERRA A DPAFT STATEMENT CONFIRMING THAT, PENDING

FORMAL APPROACH BY THE UK GOVERNMENT, THE AUSTRALIAN COMMISSION

HERE SAW NO PROBLEM WITH THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

ACCEPTING THE NEW PASSPORT, AND THAT THE AUSTPLIAN COMMISSION

WAS CONFIDENT THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE HOLDING THE NEW PASSPORT WOULD

BE ABLE TO TRAVEL TO AUSTRALIA WITH THE SAME DEGREE OF CONVENIENCE

AS BDTC PASSPORT HOLDERS, SUBJECT TO THE USUAL VISA REQUIREMENT.

SHE SAW NO PROBLEM WITH HER GOVERNMENT AGREEING TO THE ISSUE OF

SUCH A STATEMENT AND EXPECTED GREENLIGHT FROM CANBERRA ANY TIME.

4. AFTER THE MEETING THE ACTING COMMISS MONER PHONED A SECUP ITY

BRANCH OFFICIAL TO SAY THAT CANBERRA HAD AGREED TO THE PROPOSED STATEMENT, AND THAT THEY WOULD SE ISSUING IT THIS AFTERNOON.

YOUDE

HONG KONG AGREEMENT: NATIONALITY

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

HD/NTD

RESEARCH D (MR WALKER)

DEP HD/PUSD

PS

PS/MR RENTON

PS/PUS

SIR W HARDING

MR WILSON

COPIES TO:

MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS

MR GRAINGER, LEGAL ADVISERS

MR D MCDOUGALL, MVD

MR HYDE, HOME OFFICE

MR EMERY, B4 DIV, HOME OFFICE, CROYDON

MR NICHOLSON, PASSPORT DEPT, HOME OFFICE

ROOM 236, CLIVE HOUSE.

MR MCDONOUGH, B2 DIV, HOME OFFICE MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS

CONFIDENTIAL

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