05-FEB-1993 16:04
FCO M.V.D.
Mr Thompson
071 370 4046
P.02
Reference.
CONFIDENTIAL
MVD
VISA ABOLITION AGREEMENTS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THIRD
COUNTRIES
CODE 18-77
1. I attach a self explanatory position paper produced by Hong Kong about the problem of ensuring that Hong Kong people will enjoy visa-free access to third countries after 1997 and indeed that BDTCs and BN (0)s continue to enjoy it until 1997. The paper is self explanatory (the earlier letter of 27 June 1989 referred to contains nothing which is not repeated in the present paper). Hong Kong have asked for our views.
2. The following are my initial reactions to Hong Kong's three options:
(a) Third countries are unlikely to be interested without reciprocity, which the Chinese are unlikely to agree to only in respect of BDTC/BN (0) passports. I would also envisage some difficulty with returnability: third countries may baulk at an agreement with the UK which depends on returnability of UK passport holders to what will be after 1997 Chinese territory.
(b) There would be severe confidence problems with this option. And we may in any case find third countries increasingly reluctant as 1997 approaches to include BDTCS and BN (0)s in UK VAAS.
(c) This seems to me the most viable option. I give some more detailed comments below.
Separate Hong Kong VAAS
3.
Separate Hong Kong agreements with third countries to avoid disruption during the transition to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 is a formula we have used in other subject areas. For example, Hong Kong now negotiates its own Air Services Agreements which, with the agreement of
TOMAVI/1
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