TNAG-2082-FCO40-2963-Policy-on-visas-and-entry-certificates-in-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 121

CONFIDENTIAL

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CONFIDENTIAL

FM WARSAW

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 313

OF 23124OZ APRIL 90

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

HKB

345/

EIVED IN BEDSTRY

2 6 APR 1990

024560 MDLIAN 5938

INFO ROUTINE UKREP BRUSSELS

HONG KONG TELNO 1251: HONG KONG VISA POLICY

1.

WE HAVE FOR SOME TIME BEEN PRESSING THE CASE FOR LIBERALISATION OF VISA PROCEDURES FOR POLISH TRAVELLERS TO THE UK. WE NATURALLY SYMPATHISE WITH SIMILAR PRESSURES AS THEY AFFECT HONG KONG.

2. AS SEEN FROM HERE, ANY CHANGE IN ARRANGEMENTS AFFECTING HONG KONG SHOULD BE GUIDED BY TWO PRINCIPLES:

THEY SHOULD BE ALIGNED AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE WITH RULES GOVERNING ENTRY OF POLES TO THE UK.

B) THEY SHOULD NOT DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN POLES AND OTHER EAST EUROPEANS TO THE FORMER'S DISADVANTAGE.

3. THE KEY POINT IS THAT, SO FAR AS THE POLES ARE CONCERNED, ANY NEW RULES IN HONG KONG WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED BY THE

BRITISH GOVERNMENT

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ALBEIT VIA ITS AGENT IN THE COLONY. THEY WOULD NOT EASILY UNDERSTAND THAT WE WERE WILLING TO BE AS GENEROUS IN OUR METROPOLITAN TERRITORY AS WE WERE IN HONG KONG (WHICH WOULD BE THE CASE IF, FOR EXAMPLE, THE THIRD OPTION IN PARAGRAPH 4 OF THE TUR WERE ADOPTED). ON (B) ABOVE, THERE IS, AS WE HAVE ARGUED ELSEWHERE, NO POLITICAL CASE FOR GIVING THE POLES WORSE TREATMENT THAN OTHER EAST EUROPEANS. ANY SUCH DECISION WOULD BE RESENTED HERE. MOREOVER, IT WOULD BE SEEN AS A PURELY BRITISH DECISION AND THERE WOULD BE NO EC CLOAK FOR US TO HIDE BEHIND.

BARRETT

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