TNAG-1559-FCO40-2123-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 30

GRS 450

CONFIDENT FAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 307

CONFIDENTIAL

OF 300325Z JANUARY 86

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, OTTAWA

HKK 040/4

RECEIVE AN ATR

TOP COPY

30 JAN 1986

M

Y

OUR TELNO 2782: HONG KONG AGREEMENT : ACCEPTABILITY OF BN (0)

PASSPORT : CANADA.

AS PART OF THE CONTINUING INFORMAL DIALOUGE ON THE ACCEPTABILITY OF BN (0) PASSPORT, THE FIRST SECRETARY (IMMIGRATION) OF THE CANADIAN COMMISSION PUT TO US YESTERDAY A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS REGARDING HOW THE POSSESSION OR OTHERWISE OF A HONG KONG PERMANENT IDENTITY CARD WOULD AFFECT A BN(0)'S RIGHT TO ENTER HONG KONG: WHETHER A BN (0)'S RIGHT TO ENTER HONG KONG WOULD BE AFFECTED IF HE LOST HMS PERMANENT IDENTITY CARD OR IF IT EXPIRED. HE EXPLAINED THAT OTTAWA HAD ASKED

THESE QUESTIONS. WE ANSWERED FACTUALLY.

2. IN A FURTHER INFORMAL DISCUSSION WITH A SECURITY BRANCH OFFICIAL TODAY, THE FIRST SECRETARY IMMIGRATION) EXPRESSED HIS SLIGHT PERSONAL DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THE PACE AT WHICH OTTAWA SEEMED TO

BE CONSIDERING THE QUESTION OF THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE NEW PASSPORT AND THE QUALITY OF THE QUESTIONS BEING ASKED. OTTAWA ALSO ASKED HOW THE UK GOVERNMENT HAD RECONCILED THE BASIC DIFFERENCES IN THE RESPECTIVE POSITIONS OF CHINA AND BRITAIN ON THE NEW PASSPORT : THE ONE VIEWING IT AS A TRAVEL DOCUMENT WHILE THE OTHER CALLS IT

A PASSPORT WHICH IS INEVITABLY A MANIFESTATION OF ONE'S NATIONALITY STATUS: WHETHER THE CHINESE HAD OBJECTED TO THE REFERENCE TO 'PASSPORT' IN THE AGREED RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT IN BN(0)

PASSPORT: AND HOW OTHER COUNTRIES ARE REACTING.

3. DESPITE THESE QUESTIONS, THE FIRST SECRETARY (IMMIGRATION) SAID HE WAS REASONABLY OPTIMISTIC THEIR GOVERNMENT WOULD ACCEPT THE NEW BN (0) PASSPORT, AT LEAST UP TO 1997, NOTWITHSTANDING THE 1983 ORDER IN COUNCIL. AFTER ALL PASSPORTS ISSUED BY OTHER DEPENDENT TERRITORIES COULD HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM VIS-A-VIS THE 1983 ORDER IN COUNCIL (AS DESCRIBED IN PARA. 1(A) OF OUR TELNO 2429), GIVEN THAT THE AUTHORITY TO ISSUE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES PASSPORTS STEMS ESSENTIALLY FROM THE CROWN. BUT AFTER 1997, ACCEPTABILITY OF BN (0) PASSPORT COULD POSE A REAL PROBLEM IN THAT IT WOULD BE ISSUED BY A COUNTRY TO PEOPLE TOWARDS WHOM THE ISSUING COUNTRY HAD NO

SOVEREIGN RESPONSIBILITY. CONFIDENTIAL

14.

Zo

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