CONFIDENTIAL
(TMC)
(iii)
Haafkens (China Bureau MFA) was very sympathetic with our arguments. He entirely accepted the political case for doing everything to maintain confidence and continuity in Hong Kong and immediately saw the significance of the British National (Overseas) passport, which he described as a "remarkable concession" by the Chinese. He revealed that Planning Department of the MFA had recently written a paper on Hong Kong which concluded emphatically that it was very much in the Netherlands' political and commercial interests that the Anglo Chinese Agreement on Hong Kong should succeed and that Hong Kong should remain stable and prosperous. That implied that the Netherlands should play its part in this by doing nothing to undermine confidence in the BN (0) passport. Haafkens undertook to keep in touch with Kervers and Gosschalk on this subject to ensure that the political
aspects of the matter were given proper weight and to keep me informed of any developments.
3. So far so good. It is encouraging to have had such a clear expression of support from the political department concerned. But the passport and visa people remain to be convinced and we shall need to monitor carefully any discussion in the Schengen context. In any case I hope it will be possible for the experts in London to let the Dutch have the promised statement on the 1960 VAA as soon as possible.
Yours Sincerely
Alan Pawe Рос
AR Paul
Head of Chancery
CC:
FCO
MVD, HKD, FCO WED, FCO Chanceries:
Brussels, Luxembourg, Paris, Bonn.
CONFIDENTIAL
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