CONFIDENTIAL
69001
1
PARTS OF CHINA SHALL CONTINUE TO BE REGULATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THE PRESENT PRACTICE. UNQUOTE. THERE CAN THUS BE NO QUESTION OF
MAINLAND CHINESE ENTERING HONG KONG TO ACQUIRE TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
WHICH MIGHT BE OF MORE PRACTICAL VALUE THAN PRC DOCUMENTS.
(D) Q. WHAT TRAVEL DOCUMENTS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO HONG
KONG RESIDENTS WHO ACQUIRE NEITHER BN(0) STATUS NOR PRC
CITIZENSHIP?
A. ALL HONG KONG BDTCS WILL LOSE THAT STATUS ON 1 JULY
1997 BUT BEFORE THAT DATE ARE ENTITLED TO ACQUIRE BN (0) STATUS
AND THE PASSPORT THAT GOES WITH IT. IF ANY HONG KONG BDTC DOES
NOT WISH TO ACQUIRE BN(0) STATUS AND IF HE HAS NO OTHER NATIONALITY, THEN HE AUTOMATICALLY BECOMES A BRITISH OVERSEAS
CITIZEN ON 1 JULY 1997. HE WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO HOLD A BRITISH
PASSPORT SHOWING THAT STATUS. FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT/NOT CHINESE
NATIONALS AND WHO ARE LAWFULLY RESIDENT IN THE HONG KONG SAR, THE
PRC GOVERNMENT SHALL AUTHORISE THE HONG KONG SAR GOVERNMENT TO
ISSUE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW, TRAVEL DOCUMENTS OF THE HONG KONG SAR. SUCH TRAVEL DOCUMENTS WILL BE VALID FOR ALL STATES AND
REGIONS AND SHALL RECORD THE HOLDERS RIGHT TO RETURN TO THE HONG
KONG SAR (SECTION XIV OF ANNEX I TO THE JOINT DECLARATION REFERS). THIS APPLIES EQUALLY TO NON-CHINESE WHO HAVE ACQUIRED BN(0) STATUS AND THOSE WHO HAVE NOT.
(E)
Q. WHAT ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE MADE TO PROVIDE BRITISH
OVERSEAS CITIZENS (IE THOSE FORMER HONG KONG BDTCS WHO DID NOT ACQUIRE BN (0) AND WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE STATELESS) WITH TRAVEL
DOCUMENTS?
A.
THE BRITISH CONSULATE-GENERAL IN THE HONG KONG SAR AS
WELL AS ALL OTHER BRITISH PASSPORT ISSUING POSTS WILL BE ABLE
FROM 1 JULY 1997 TO PROVIDE SUCH PERSONS WITH BRITISH PASSPORTS SHOWING THEIR NATIONAL STATUS AS BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZEN.
3.
WE HAVE THE IMPRESSION FROM BENSON THAT THE BN(0)
MATERIAL PASSED TO THE AUSTRALIANS IN CANBERRA WENT SOME WAY
TOWARDS ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS BUT THAT THEY WOULD STILL WELCOME SPECIFIC ANSWERS. GRATEFUL TO KNOW IF CANBERRA ARE AWARE OF ANY OTHER BN (0) QUESTIONS ON WHICH THE AUSTRALIANS WOULD LIKE CLARIFICATION, OR KNOW OF ANY OTHER POINTS WHICH WE SHOULD TAKE
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