TNAG-1744-FCO40-2463-Visits-by-FCO-officials-to-Hong-Kong--including-visit-by-Lor-1988 — Page 161

CONFIDENTIAL

We fully

14. The passport duly came into existence on 1 July 1987. expect people holding such passports to be able to travel as widely

There have been and as freely as they did using BDTC passports. occasional hiccups in certain foreign countries, but these have largely been due to bureaucratic confusion and have been smoothed

We will continue to monitor the situation as the passport becomes more widely used.

over.

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15.

16.

In Hong Kong there is naturally great interest in the international acceptability of the new passport. Opinion there has tended to associate acceptability with public statements of support. Following initial problems with the Thai authorities the proportion of people applying for BN (0) passports against those applying for BDTC passports fell rapidly from about 45% of the total in July 1987 to about 12% of applications by mid-August 1987. figures show an 18% preference for BN (0) passports. to travel more widely on the BN (0) passport, we hope that confidence in the document will pick up.

Latest

As people begin

THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED UNDER

FOI EXEMPTION NO...27(1)

CONFIDENTIAL