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2 & OCT 36
REGIS RY
RECEIV
INC
GRS160
/CONFIDENTIAL
OTTAWA
TO ROUTINE H FCO
TELNO 658
OF 241310Z OCTOBER 86
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY O DIST ?
NATIONALITY: INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF BN(0) PASSPORTS
1.
WE CALLED ON DEA TODAY TO DELIVER THE NOTE ATTACHED TO LE
BRETON'S CIRCULAR LETTER OF 23 SEPTEMBER AND TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO MENTION THE PROBLEM WHICH WORRIED CANADA'S ACTING COMMISSIONER
TO HONG KONG.(HONG KONG TELNO 3460)
2. SHEEHAN, DIRECTOR GENERAL, CONSULAR AND IMMIGRATION, SAID THAT HIS PRELIMINARY VIEW WAS THAT THE EXPLICIT LINKAGE OF THE BN (0) PASSPORT TO THE HOLDER'S HONG KONG IDENTITY NUMBER WOULD ENABLE THE CANADIANS TO REGARD HOLDERS OF THE NEW PASSPORTS AS RETURNABLE. HE HAD NOT HOWEVER, HAD A REPORT FORM LUKIE ON THE MEETING REPORTED IN HONG KONG TUR AND HE DID NOT WANT TO COMMIT THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT WITHOUT A THOROUGH EXMAINATION OF OUR NOTE. NEVER- THE LESS, GIVEN SHEEHAN'S KNOWLEDGE OF THE ISSUES AND PERSONAL AUTHORITY, WE ARE ENCOURAGED BY WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. WITH LUCK THEREFORE WE MAY GET AWAY WITHOUT THE TWO-TIER SYSTEM ENVISAGED
BY HONG KONG.
3. SHEEHAN NOTED WHAT WE HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE DESIRABILITY OF A
PUBLIC STATEMENT, BUT THOUGHT THAT, EVEN IF THE CANADIANS COULD CONFIRM THEIR ACCEPTANCE OF THE BN (0) PASSPORT, IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT
TO FIND A PEG ON WHICH TO HANG A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT AT THIS STAGE.
WOULD A PRIVATE ASSURANCE DO? WE SAID THAT A PUBLIC STATEMENT WOULD
HAVE MUCH MORE IMPACT IN TERMS OF BOLSTERING HONG KONGERS' CONFIDENCE
AND SUGGESTED THAT IF THERE WERE A VIP VISIT IN EITHER DIRECTION,
THAT MIGHT PROVIDE A SUITABLE PEG. WE WILL PURSUE THIS ASPECT
WHEN WE HAVE SHEEHAN' S CONSIDERED VIEWS ON THE SUBSTANCE.
DAY
ODWBAN 5923
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: NATIONALITY
LIMITED
HD/HKD
HD/FED
HD NTD
RESEARCH D (MR WALKER)
DEP HD/PUSD
PS
PS/R RENTON
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE MR WILSON
MR BARRINGTON
COPIES TO:
MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MR PLANT,
LEGAL ADVISERS
MR D MCDOUGALL, MVD
MR HYDE, HOME OFFICE
MR EMERY, B4 DIV, HOME OFFICE, CROYDON
MF NICHOLSON, PASSPORT DEPT, HOME OFFICE.
ROOM 236, CLIVE HOUSE.
MR MCDONOUGH, B2 DIV, HOME OFFICE
CONFIDENTIAL
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