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CONFIDENT 345/5
(16
103274
MDHIAN 6814
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 2716OOZ FCO
TELNO 1528
OF 271022Z SEPTEMBER 93
2 9 SEP 1993
INFO IMMEDIATE MADRID, UKREP BRUSSELS
INFO ROUTINE OTHER EC POSTS, UKMIS NEW YORK
ISTRY
Asuon Tren
TOP COP Q DIST?
UKMIS NEW YORK FOR APPLEYARD, VISITING
YOUR TELNO 845: SPANISH VISA REGIME FOR HONG KONG BDTCs AND BN(0)s
1. Seen from here, it is puzzling that the Spanish should be proving so intransigent, particularly on the timing of the new requirement, for which the choice of date seems arbitrary. But we agree that the prospects for persuading them to reverse their decision are not promising.
2. Now that it has become clear that none of Spain's Schengen partners intend to follow its example in introducing new visa requirements for Hong Kong BDTCs and BN (0)s, we do not think that the decision will do major damage to Hong Kong's interests. If it damages anyone, it will probably be Spain: some Hong Kong trade and tourism may be deflected elsewhere in Europe.
3. Nevertheless, community sensitivity about the general issue of visa restrictions remains high. We need to be able to show that we have done everything possible to persuade the Spanish to change their minds. This will, inter alia, make it easier to defuse pressure in LegCo and elsewhere for retaliation (which we judge will probably be containable). We therefore think it would be worth making any further efforts we can, both to secure postponement of the implementation date and, ultimately, reversal of the original decision. We appreciate that the negotiation of a visa abolition agreement could be a major exercise. But we hope this possibility can at least be fully explored: Madrid telno 408 gave the impression that Carbajal's dismissal of it may not have been thoroughly considered. I also hope that we will not accept the failure of our efforts without trying an appeal to the Spanish at ministerial level.
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