Britain is still on its honour

MANY millions of words have been written and spoken about passports and visas over these 11 years since the Joint Declaration.

More are to be added because the subject affects all people. Who can blame us for our obsessive interest? The freedom to move and the sense of belonging to a place are bound up with our identity.

We all know what the Special Administrative Region passport will look like: navy blue with golden emblem and lettering on the cover and a bauhinia insignia watermark on every page.

What we do not know is how many of the 80 or so countries which now offer British Dependent Territory Citizen and British National (Overseas) passport-holders visa-free entry will extend the same courtesy to those soon to possess the SAR document.

Quite simply the acceptability of the SAR passport to many local people depends on how widely it may be accepted by the world community. If Britain, the current sovereign, member of the European Union and the Commonwealth, does not offer this condition, the other countries will wonder what is wrong with the passport and will not waive visa requirements for us.

The Chinese Government, for its part, has promised a diplomatic blitz to win the SAR passport recognition from as many countries as possible. No doubt the Foreign Ministry will do its best because national pride is at stake and also because China sincerely wants Hong Kong to enjoy its special status.

Britain has a special responsibility for Hong Kong as Prime Minister John Major recently mentioned to other heads of government at the Commonwealth conference in Auckland and as Baroness Thatcher has pledged on many occasions.