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revealed in this context that for all intents we have missed our 1987 target for introduction of the common format passport.
Hong Kong have indeed been pressing us to meet July 1987 because of their concerns about a confusion of passports issued in Hong Kong; the blue hard-covered BN (0) passport succeeded by the new format burgundy; and the present Hong Kong blue hard-covered passport for BDTCS to be succeeded by the new format burgundy. We judge their concerns unrealistic. The UK will be in much the same position with the traditional blue passport likely to be in circulation alongside the common format and the look-alike until the turn of the century; EC community countries will have at least 2 types and the United States of America, Canada and Australia will all have 2 types as they change to a machine-readable format. The essential thing is to achieve recognition by third countries of the new status and of the returnability to Hong Kong of those who hold it. Beyond that there is no particular problem about the format of passports.
Issuing Policy
As indicated in White Paper availability of the BN (0) status from 1 July 1987 enables BN (0) passports to be issued with the normal 10 year validity so that they will be valid before and after 1 July 1997. It allows the maximum time for the issuing authorities to deal with applications for BN (0) passports and for third countries to grow accustomed to the new nationality status.
Where people opt however for a passport in BDTC status it will be restricted in validity to 30 June 1997 at which point BDTC (Hong Kong) lapses. In order to guard against misuse of passports it will not be possible to hold 2 simultaneously in different statuses.
Work is underway in producing application forms for BN (0) passports with explanatory leaflets.
Right of abode endorsement in the passport
At present BDTC (HK) passports show right of abode in Hong Kong. It is crucial to the confidence of Hong Kong in the passport and its acceptability to third countries that the BN (0) passport should do
also.
Since BN (0) pssports will be valid beyond 30 June 1997 when the UK loses sovereignty over Hong Kong the endorsement had to be agreed with the Chinese using a fairly neutral form of words which did not cause offence by suggesting that the right of abode was conferred by us. The Joint Declaration provides that holders of permanent identity cards of the HK SAR may have this fact stated in their travel documents as evidence of the right of abode in Hong Kong. The endorsement which has been agreed "Holder has a permanent
/Hong Kong
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