TNAG-2923-FCO40-4198-Visits-and-proposed-visits-by-Alastair-Goodlad--Minister-of--1993 — Page 76

Background

VISA FREE TRAVEL TO EUROPE

1. There is concern in Hong Kong that as 1997 approaches, visa free arrangements for Hong Kong British passport-holders will be eroded. A Spanish decision to discontinue from 1 October visa free arrangements for Hong Kong travellers (BNOS, BDTCs) crystallised this fear.

2. Members of LegCo have seen this as the thin end of the wedge. Mrs Tu wrote on 7 September to the Secretary of State about LegCo concerns. Mr Hogg replied reassuring her that those members of the Schengen Convention which now extended visa free travel to Hong Kong visitors (Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Italy and Greece) had no plans in the forseeable future to change arrangements. He also assured her that we had made representations on behalf of Hong Kong to the Spanish authorities at a senior level.

3. The Spanish claimed reimposition of a visa regime was made necessary by their obligations under the Schengen Convention. The Schengen Secretariat have told us that this is not the case. Despite a concerted effort (demarches with the Spanish in London, Madrid, Hong Kong and Brussels) we were unable to secure Spanish agreement to rethink the decision, or to postpone its implementation.