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FM HONG KONG
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 2945
OF 23025OZ DECEMBER 92
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PHASED PROGRAMME FOR REGISTERING BDTCS AS BN (0)S AND ISSUING THEM WITH PASSPORTS: MY TELNO 2906.
1. COVERAGE OF OUR PRESS RELEASE WAS NOT EXTENSIVE, WITH ONLY A FEW QUESTIONS. NOR DID THE CHINESE SIDE RAISE THE SUBJECT IN THE WEEKLY MEETING WITH UKREP.
2. GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD NOW GO AHEAD WITH THE DRAFT LEGISLATION.
3. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR TIMETABLE TO ENABLE US TO PREPARE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAMME AND FOR PUBLICITY BEFOREHAND. ALTHOUGH WE MENTIONED IN OUR PRESS RELEASE THE POSSIBILITY OF A PHASED PROGRAMME (AND WE WILL NOW UPGRADE OUR REMINDERS TO APPLY TO BN (0)S EARLY), WE ARE STILL PLANNING TO MAKE THE DETAILS, AND ESPECIALLY THE LEGAL SANCTIONS, PUBLIC ONLY WHEN THE DRAFT ORDER IS SUBMITTED TO PARLIAMENT. IF YOU THINK IT WILL LEAK, WE WOULD HAVE TO REVISE THESE ARRANGEMENTS. GRATEFUL FOR YOUR ADVICE.
4. IDEALLY, WE WOULD PREFER THE ORDER TO GO THROUGH IN APRIL, TO ENABLE US TO PUBLICISE THE PROGRAMME AND TO START IT BY JULY. IF THE ORDER WERE TO BE DELAYED, WE WOULD BE FORCED TO REDUCE THE TIME DEVOTED TO PUBLICITY, BUT WE WOULD STILL WISH TO START THE PROGRAMME IN JULY. WE UNDERSTAND YOUR PARLIAMENTARY DIFFICULTIES AND THE SLIPPAGE ALREADY CAUSED BY .FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES AT THIS END, BUT WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO ENABLE US TO START IN JULY.
5. WE PRESUME THAT YOU WILL LET US HAVE SIGHT OF THE DRAFT ORDER BEFORE IT GOES TO PARLIAMENT.
6. THE EXCO PAPER AND DECISION WILL FOLLOW BY BAG.
PATTEN
YYYY
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