TNAG-1571-FCO40-2137-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 41

AKK BAC/1 RECEIVED › REGISTRY-

- 6 JAN 1987

OFFICER

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

OCMIAN 7637

CONFIDENTIAL

RR PARIS

FM FCOLN TO PARIS

231245Z DEC

GRS 240

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO ROUTINE PARIS

TELNO 830

OF 231245Z DECEMBER 86

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG

3/1

CONFIDENTIAL

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

7637 1

-

YOUR TELNO 1347 AND WESTON'S LETTER TO WILSON OF 19 NOVEMBER:

FRENCH VISA REQUIREMENT FOR HONG KONG BDTCS

1.

WE AND HONG KONG HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING YOUR SUGGESTION OF

HOLDING EXPERT LEVEL TALKS WITH THE FRENCH. WE HAVE CONCLUDED

THAT SUCH TALKS SHOULD TAKE PLACE, IN PARIS. THE COMPOSITION OF THE UK DELEGATION WOULD BE FLEXIBLE BUT IT IS LIKELY THAT MVD,

NTD, HKD, HOME OFFICE AND EXPERTS FROM HONG KONG WOULD BE REPRESENTED (TOTAL 6). GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS ON THE BEST

TIMING FOR THE TALKS WHICH WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE FRENCH.

FOR VARIOUS REASONS OUR OWN PREFERENCE IS FOR ANYTIME IN LATE

JANUARY OR FEBRUARY. ANYTHING OUTSIDE THIS 5 OR 6 WEEK 'WINDOW'

WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR US. GRATEFUL ALSO FOR YOUR VIEWS ON WHERE

TALKS WOULD LIKELY BE HELD, AND ON THE LIKELY LEVEL OF FRENCH REPRESENTATION. COULD YOU PROVIDE AN INTERPRETOR OR WOULD THE

FRENCH BE PREPARED TO USE ENGLISH ?

2.

WE WILL TELEGRAPH SEPARATELY REPLY TO QUESTION RAISED BY

FRENCH IN TUR. BUT WE HAVE NOT YET DECIDED HOW BEST TO PASS THIS

INFORMATION TO THE FRENCH. IT MAY BE BEST TO SAY WE WILL DO SO

AT THE EXPERT TALKS: THIS SHOULD PREVENT THE FRENCH TAKING ANY

ACTION TO MAKE BDTCS FORMALLY SUBJECT TO A VISA REQUIREMENT IN

1

CONFIDENTIAL