TNAG-2949-FCO40-4226-Hong-Kong-visa-policy-with-other-countries-1993 — Page 45

From H. LI. Davies British Senior Trade Commissioner

PF Ricketts Esq

HKD

FCO

RESTRICTED

fu 345j2

16

the dio.

M's Barrel-Jones

PL speak with, Vickers' letter

REL

British Trade Commission

9th Floor

Hong Kong

Bank of America Tower 18 Harcourt Road

Central Hong Kong

Tel No: 523 0176 Fax No: 845 2870

6 September 1993

"MKD 345/2

19 OCT 1993

INUE,

Jew later.

BRITISH CITIZENS'

1.

IMMIGRATION STATUS, HONG KONG

You may have seen the enclosed SCMP article of 1 September reporting that amendments to the Immigration Ordinance could be brought in next year affecting the special privileges of British citizens in Hong Kong. This report was followed by a leader and a further article on 2 September quoting James Chiu, the Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce, commenting on these issues.

2. As British Trade Commissioner, this seemed to me to be an issue where this office should indicate that we have a clear interest as representing British businessmen and, increasingly in the lead up to 1997, British citizens more generally. I have therefore spoken both to James Chiu and to the Secretary for Security, Alasdair Asprey, within whose ambit lies responsibility for the Immigration Ordinance.

3. In speaking to me, James Chiu took a robust view (somewhat at variance with the line attributed to him in the enclosed article) that British citizens should retain their special rights until 1997, possibly right up until 1st July. His argument was that work permits were generally for one or at the most two years. It therefore made no sense to introduce such requirements so far in advance of the transfer of sovereignty. He thought that a compromise might be to introduce the requirement as from 1 January 1997. I told him that I would be having a word with the Secretary for Security to clarify the situation.

RESTRICTED

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