TNAG-1570-FCO40-2136-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 174

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D F B LE BRETON EST, HTX, FC3

D @ JEAFFRESON ESQ CBE, SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, HONG KONG PAD THOMPSON ESQ OVO, PEKING

HONG KONG: INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF RN (0) PASSPORTS.

1. WHEN I SAW ASSISTANT MINISTER FELICIDAD GONZALES AT THE

FOREIGN MINISTRY ON OTHER BUSINESS ON 11 NOVEMBER, SHE RAISED THE

QUESTION OF HONG KONG PASSPORTS, EXPLAINING THAT SHE HAD BEEN

CONSULTED BY ASSISTANT MINISTER SEVERINO TO WHOM I HAD

RECENTLY MADE REPRESENTATIONS ON THE SUBJECT (MY TELNO 607),

2. MRS GONZALES HAD TWO SPECIFIC ENQUIRIES:

(1) WHAT WOULD BE THE POSITION OF BDTC (REPEAT BDTC) PASSPORT HOLDERS WHO TRAVELLED TO THE PHILIPPINES SHORTLY BEFORE THE

1 JULY 1997 DEADLINE AND WHO POSSESSED NO OTHER TRAVEL DOCUMENTS?

IF THEY WERE STILL IN THE PHILIPPINES AFTER THE DEADLINE COULD THEY

BE RETURNED TO HONG KONG? IF THERE WAS NO SATISFACTORY UNDERSTANDING ON THIS POINT, THE PHILIPPINE AUTHORITIES WIGHT HAVE TO SET A DATE, EG TWO MONTHS BEFORE 1 JULY 1997, AFTER WHICH HOLDERS OF BDTC PASSPORTS (AND NO OTHER) WOULD NOT RE ADMITTED. I SAID THAT IT SEEMED TO ME UMLIKELY THAT MANY, IF ANY, HONG KONG RESIDENTS WOULD STILL BE TRAVELLING ON BTDC

PASSPORTS SO NEAR THE DEADLINE. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE WHO WISHED TO CONTINUS TO USE PRITISH TRAVEL DOCUMENTS WOULD SURELY

HAVE CHANGED TO PR(0) PASSPORTS BY THEN. MOS GONZALES SAID THERE

WOULD BE A PROBLEM EVEN IF THERE WERE ONLY ONE OR TWO. I SAID

I WOULD MAKE ENQUIRIES.

(!) SIMILARLY WOULD ANY ARRANGEMENTS BE MADE TO ENSURE THAT

CERTIFICATES OF IDENTITY (C119) ISSUED TY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT

CBEFORE 1. JULY 1997 WOULD BE RECOGNISED BY THE AUTHORITIES OF

THE SAR AFTER THAT DATE? IF THERE WERE NO SUCH APRANGEMENTS, THE

PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT MIGHT HAVE DIFFICULTY IN ADMITTING CI HOLDERS

SHORTLY BEFORE THE DEADLINE.

3. MRS GONZALES ALSO NOTED THAT OUP EXPLANATIONS ABOUT THE NEW

@N(0) PASSPORT REFERRED TO AGREEMENTS HAVE ING BEEN REACHED WITH THE

CHINESE AUTHORITIES ON RETURNABILITY (THE ENDORSEMENT PEFERRING

TO PERMANENT IDENTITY CARDS AND THE CONTINUED USE OF IDENTITY CARDS

ISSUED BYFORE 1 JULY 1997 AFTER THAT DATE). THE FILIPINOS BAD ASKED THE CHINESE ABOUT THIS BUT HAD NOT SO FAR RECEIVED ANY RESPONSE.

IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THEY WERE TO CONFIRM WHAT WE HAD SAID

ABOUT THEIR ATTITUDE.

4. AS DAVID JEAFFRESON WILL KNOW, MRS GONZALES WAS IN HONG KONG FOR SOME TEN YEARS AS CONSUL-GENERAL BEFORE RETURNING TO THE

PHILIPPINES EARLIER THIS YEAR. SHE IS FULLY FAMILIAR WITH THE

DIFFERENT TYPES OF HONG KONG TRAVEL DOCUMENTS AND IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT SHE SHOULD FOCUS ON DETAILED QUESTIONS. THE POINTS AT PARA 2(1) AND (10) ABOVE SEEM TO ME TO BE VALID ONES WHICH WILL NEED TO BE CONSIDERED AT SOME POINT AND WILL NO DOUBT REQUIRE DISCUSSION WITH THE CHINESE. ARE THERE AMY ANSWERS

WHICH CAN BE GIVEN NOW?

5. THE POINT IN PARA 3 ABOVE IS A MORE IMMEDIATE ONE. WE ARE INDEED ASSERTING TO FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS THAT CEPTAIN ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN AGREED WITH THE CHINESE AND IT IS NOT UNREASONABLE SOP THOSE GOVERNMENTS TO SEEK CONFIRMATION FROM THE CHINESE THAT THEY

HAVE IN FACT AGREED THESE ARRANGEMENTS. THIS IS OF COURSE A

DELICATE AREA AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT DISCUSSION ON THE POINT MAY

HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. BUT IF IT HAS

MOT BEEN DONE ALREADY, YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER ENCOURAGING

THE CHINESE TO RESPOND POSITIVELY TO ANY REQUESTS FOR CONTERMATEOM

THAT THE ARRANGEMENTS GUARANTEEING RETURNABILITY TO HONG KONG OF BH(3) PASSPORT HOLDERS ARE ACCEPTABLE TO THEM.

DIGNED R JT MCLAREN

YYYY

MOSMAN 3932

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