TNAG-1570-FCO40-2136-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 76

GRS 400

CONFIDENTIAL

FM MANILA

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELNO 549

OF 200341Z NOVEMBER 86

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 340/1

REGISTRY

RECEIVER

12 DEC 1986

AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, PEKING-

1090)

ctn laken

тёл

YOUR TELNO 2639 TO HONG KONG PARAGRAPH 6: HONG KONG: INTERNATIONAL

ACCEPTANCE OF BN (0) PASSPORTS.

1. WHEN I SAW ASSISTANT MINISTER GONZALES ON 19 NOVEMBER SHE SAID THAT SINCE OUR DISCUSSION ABOUT PASSPORT MATTERS ON 11

NOVEMBER (MY TELELETTER OF 13 NOVEMBER) SHE HAD HEARD THAT THERE HAD

BEEN A RESPONSE FROM THE CHINESE TO PHILIPPINE ENQUIRIES ABOUT OUR AGREEMENT WITH THEM ON BN(0) PASSPORTS. AS REPORTED TO HER, THE CHINESE HAD SAID THAT WHILE THEY WERE CONTENT WITH

THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR BN (0) PASSPORTS, HOLDERS OF THESE PASSPORTS

WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE THEM FOR SAR PASSPORTS AFTER 1 JULY 1997. MRS GONZALES SAID SHE WAS PUZZLED BY THIS SINCE SHE WAS FAMILIAR WITH

THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE EXCHANGE OF MEMORANDA.

I SAID IT SOUNDED TO ME AS THOUGH THERE HAD BEEN SOME MISUNDERSTANDING. IF MRS GONZALES COULD FIND OUT AND LET ME KNOW

EXACTLY WHAT THE CHINESE HAD SAID, I WOULD PURSUE THE MATTER

FURTHER.

COMMENT.

2.

I WILL REPORT AGAIN IF I GET A CLEARER ACCOUNT OF THE

EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE FILIPINOS AND THE CHINESE. THERE APPEARS TO

HAVE BEEN SOME CONFUSION, POSSIBLY ARISING FROM THE WAY IN

WHICH THE FILIPINOS PUT THEIR QUESTION TO THE CHINESE (WHO MAY

HAVE FELT OBLIGED TO RESTATE THEIR POSITION ON THE NATIONALITY

OF HONG KONG CHINESE). BUT AS SEEN FROM HERE THE RISK OF

MISUNDERSTANDINGS IS QUITE HIGH AND REINFORCES THE CASE FOR

SEEKING AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE SOON ON HOW THEY WILL

RESPOND TO SUCH ENQUIRIES FROM THIRD GOVERNMENTS.

MCLAREN

MGSMAN 3965

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

LEGAL ADVISERS

MR PLANT,

MR D MCDOUGALL, MVD

MR LYON, HOME OFFICE

MR EMERY, B4 DIV, HOME OFFICE, CROYDON MR NICHOLSON, PASSPORT DEPT, HOME OFFICE

ROOM 236, CLIVE HOUSE.

MR MCDONOUGH, B2 DIV, HOME OFFICE

CONFIDENTIAL

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