TNAG-2949-FCO40-4226-Hong-Kong-visa-policy-with-other-countries-1993 — Page 47

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

FIRD 345/2

- 9 SEP 1993

DESK OFFICEF

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

FILE

布政司署

香港下审

NIMH OUR REF

42 Your Ref

1) copy

2) M. Rickets ar

Me Mom

Mr Bunter

Mr Minitrey

INDEA

DISTRY

Action Texan

September 1993

سن حسدت الان

देख

comments?

Ms Deborah Barnes Jones any

heave

Hong Kong Department

my (Dr Meters).

NDT

outward Letter?

714

Foreign and Commonwealth office

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Dear

Jebbie

14

see folio

folio (14

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-

Thank you for sending me the Daily Telegraph article. Given what one knows of the 'typical' Daily Telegraph readership and of all journalists' desire to stir whatever new angle they can find, it is not a bad piece (apart from the way the first paragraph is put which of course is not my words). He was following up an earlier front-page SCMP piece which you may have seen (attached in case not) which quoted Ingrid and myself less accurately (although the overall spin was apparently regarded as quite useful in the wider and China-related context, in Government House, I gather).

yet to be sent

714 poi

You will not presumably have been totally surprised by the issue, which has been covered for many years e.g. in the context of the Adaptation of Laws exercise but has never been noted by the press. The issue was picked up from a small but deliberate reference in my speech (pro Ken Woodhouse) to the Indian Resources Group last week, in which you might be interested (attached). This was mostly based on our latest general lines on a number of issues. I wanted to get across to the Indians where they stood in Hong Kong's overall priorities, rather than get involved, as we too often are, in defending U.K. Home Office policy against H.K. (By the way I showed these points to Andrew Walmsley when he was here yesterday and he was happy with them and understood our position).

On this specific issue, the present colonial privileges under the Immigration Ordinance which will have to go before 1 July 1997 are as in the three annexes A on Right of Abode to land, B on Deportation Procedure and Con Visa Rules for BCs.

When exactly they go has not been decided; but the point we are usefully making, with one eye on the Chinese being so difficult/over-sensitive over sovereignty rights even now (e.g. apparent unwillingness to work with us on SAR passports, to the detriment of Hong Kong people and a smooth through travel train) is that we are not over-sensitive about maintaining all these rights'———— privileges for people from the U.K. right up to the last minute.

RESTRICTED

In particular

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