TNAG-2879-FCO40-4151-Agreements-between-the-Hong-Kong-Special-Administrative-Regi-1993 — Page 128

'DE 18-77

Mr Bunten,

Hong Kong Dept

RECEIVED IN

37019

Reference.

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AFGISTRYN Banes Jeres **** 1993 32/6

29

RECISTRY

res.

Taken

AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE UK AND HONG KONG AFTER 1997

In Mr Ricketts' absence we spoke about his minute to me of 12 May about visa abolition agreements.

1.

I explained that the EC common visa list goes into Community competence with Maastricht and that thereafter it will be the Commission who will lead on which countries are added to or deleted from the list. We will be able to block any moves to increase the list until 1.1.96 because unanimous voting will be required, but after that date voting will be by qualified majority and we will therefore lose control of the list. Most of our partners prefer more, rather than less, visa regimes.

3.

I have discussed the problem of visas for BN (0)s and others at some length with Mrs Barnes-Jones and MRS in relation to the new Consulate-General in Hong Kong and you may wish to talk to her. However, I believe it would be premature for the Hong Kong authorities to open negotiations with the Commission or any other member state. I believe that the relative visa-free access to Europe that people from Hong Kong have at the moment is due to the fact that most of our partners either do not understand, or choose to ignore, that they only have returnability to Hong Kong and not the UK. Hong Kong raise the matter now our partners will be forced to face the issue and I have a good idea which way they would jump.

HICC 345/1

RECEIVED IN DISKY

2 JUN 1993

If

H Parkinson

Migration and Visa Department CL 408 270 4019

DESK OFFICER INDEX

RESTRY

PA

Action Taken

24 May 1993

cc: Miss Brooks, Legal Advisers

Mr Neale, B2 Division, Home Office

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