TNAG-2951-FCO40-4228-Hong-Kong-visa-free-travel-for-British-Nationals-(Overseas)--1993 — Page 5

MUD 345/3

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ED IN REGISTRY

-8 SEP 1993

DESK OFFICIE

INDEX

CONFIL INDIAL

REGISTRY

FROM:

Mr Appleyard,

Political Director

DATE:

PF Ricketts

Hong Kong Department

6 September 1993

cc:

Mr Hum o/r

Mr Cary, ECD(I)

Mr Lewty, MVD

Mr Madden, SED

102

A

HONG KONG/SPAIN: IMPOSITION OF VISA REGIME ON HONG KONG VISITORS

1.

I should be grateful if you could raise with your Spanish opposite number in Brussels, in the margins of the Political Directors' meeting on 7 September, an issue which is causing particular concern in Hong Kong.

2.

The Spaniards notified us in August that they would, from 1 October, require visas for British Dependent Territory Citizens (BDTCs) and British Nationals (Overseas) (BN(0)s) visiting Spain from Hong Kong. As the attached background explains, we sought to clarify the situation and as an interim measure Madrid successfully lobbied the Spaniards to delay a public announcement of the new arrangement. Since the Spaniards told us that the imposition of a visa regime was due to requirements of the Schengen Convention, we asked posts in the capitals of the five Schengen Convention which, like Spain, have not so far required visas for visitors from Hong Kong, to take soundings. (These countries are Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Greece and Italy, the remaining three Schengen states - France, Germany and Portugal - already require visas for Hong Kong BDTCS and BN (0)s). We established that Spain is the only EC country intending to impose a visa regime on Hong Kong in the foreseeable future and that, contrary to Spanish claims, Hong Kong does not figure on a Schengen Common Visa List.

3. The Spanish decision is generating considerable anxiety in Hong Kong. Additional visa restrictions on Hong Kong British passport holders in the run-up to 1997 are obviously bad for confidence. We are constantly trying to reassure people that these are not "second class" passports. We are already seeing some public speculation about a possible "domino" effect which would severely limit freedom of travel overseas. There is no

min.poldir.NAT

JEB

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