CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
17. //
HKC 345/
Mease action last fara
-
6 JUL 1990
ift
017
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG BESKO
TELNO 1249
OF 041020Z JULY 90
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
28
117340 MDLOAN 9836
TOP COPY PM.
Q DIST ?
13
TANG'S (SECURITY BRANCH) LETTER TO MAJOR (HKD) OF 21 MAY (NOT TO ALL): VISA ABOLITION AGREEMENTS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THIRD COUNTRIES
1.
WE CAN WELL UNDERSTAND YOUR DESIRE TO SECURE VISA-FREE ACCESS FOR BN (0)S POST 1997. INDEED, WE BELIEVE A PROBLEM COULD EMERGE BEFORE THEN: AS 1997 APPROACHES OTHER COUNTRIES ARE LIKELY TO BECOME RELUCTANT TO INCLUDE BN (0)S IN UK VAAS UNLESS RETURNABILITY TO THE UK IS PROVEN TO THEIR SATISFACTION. AS YOU KNOW, VAAS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN SIGNED WITH ARGENTINA AND THE GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC. BN (0)S ARE COVERED IN THESE AGREEMENTS BUT ONLY/ONLY WHERE THE HOLDER IS ENTITLED TO READMISSION TO THE UNITED KINGDOM. WITH THE SUCCESSIVE CHANGES IN BRITISH NATIONALITY LAW IN RECENT YEARS, EXISTING VAA PARTNERS HAVE BECOME CONFUSED ABOUT WHICH TYPES OF BRITISH PASSPORTS ARE COVERED. AUSTRIA, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS BEEN REQUESTING A RENEGOTIATION OF OUR PRESENT VAA WITH THEM DURING THE LAST 8
IT IS QUITE CLEAR THAT IN ANY RENEGOTIATION, AS WE HAVE DONE WITH THE ARGENTINIANS AND GDR, WE WOULD HAVE TO SPELL OUT WHAT CLASS OF BRITISH CITIZEN IS TO BE COVERED BY THE AGREEMENT. THEY ARE LIKELY TO WANT TO FOLLOW THE GDR AND ARGENTINIAN PRECEDENTS.
2. TURNING TO THE OPTIONS IN YOUR PAPER, WE THINK WE CAN RULE OUT OPTION (B): ALTHOUGH IT WOULD BE EASIEST TO IMPLEMENT AND WOULD REQUIRE NO CONSULTATION WITH THE CHINESE, IT WOULD, AS YOU POINT OUT, ENTAIL SEVERE CONFIDENCE PROBLEMS AS 1997 APPROACHES.
3.
WE CONSIDER THAT THIRD COUNTRIES ARE UNLIKELY TO BE INTERESTED IN OPTION (A) WITHOUT RECIPROCITY, WHICH THE CHINESE ARE UNLIKELY TO AGREE TO FOR POST 1997 IN RESPECT OF BN (0)
PASSPORTS ONLY.
LIKE YOU, WE CONCLUDE THAT OPTION (C) IS THE BEST WAY FORWARD. SEPARATE HONG KONG AGREEMENTS WITH THIRD COUNTRIES TO AVOID DISRUPTION DURING THE TRANSITION TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY IN
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