'Minimum' visa changes after Hong Kong handover<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The visa application process for people wanting
\nto visit Hong Kong for two weeks or more will not change under
\nChinese rule, a Chinese embassy official said yesterday.<\/p>\n
The former British territory returned to China today.<\/p>\n
Consular Liu Yonggu said the only major change was that people
\nhad to apply for a visa at the Chinese embassy instead of the
\nBritish embassy.<\/p>\n
Yonggu said the government was trying to make as few changes
\nas possible for visitors. Application forms for a visa are now
\navailable at the Chinese embassy.<\/p>\n
Media Tour travel agent Linda Sahuleka said that visas were
\nnot necessary for visits of less than two weeks.<\/p>\n
Linda said that visitors had to go to the embassy to show
\ntheir passports and give photographs to prove their identity
\nbefore departure.<\/p>\n
But identification documents for Hong Kong residents will
\nchange, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
Of the four types of documents held by Hong Kong residents,
\nthe Certificate of Identity, the Document of Identity and the
\nBritish Dependent Territories Citizen would be changed from today
\nfor a Special Administrative Region (SAR).<\/p>\n
Holders of SAR passports will need a visa to visit Indonesia,
\na policy that the Indonesian government intends to uphold for the
\nnext two years before evaluating it.<\/p>\n
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said that Indonesia
\nwould recognize holders of British National Overseas (BNO)
\npassports, which means visa-free visits for six months from
\ntoday.<\/p>\n
\"The visa-free status for BNO passport holders is recognized
\nas a tourist visa,\" Alatas said Sunday on arrival in Hong Kong
\nfor the handover.<\/p>\n
Antara said that 3.5 million of the 6.3 million people in Hong
\nKong held BNO passports. They are entitled to visa-free travel to
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
BNO passports are recognized in 100 countries, Yonggu said.<\/p>\n
Alatas said the Chinese government's decision to request a
\ndeclaration of citizenship from Hong Kong's residents of Chinese
\ndescent was the government's way of finding out how many Chinese
\ncitizens lived in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
Those who have not declared their citizenship will
\nautomatically be classified as Chinese from today.<\/p>\n
Alatas said that Indonesia would notify China of all its
\ncitizens residing there, including permanent residents, or else
\nthey would automatically become Chinese citizens under the new
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
He said the Indonesian Consulate General in Hong Kong would
\nstart collecting data on July 3 to find out how many Indonesians
\nhad permanent resident status in the territory.<\/p>\n
Also on July 3, the Special Administrative Region's government
\nwill issue a declaration of citizenship to expatriates who
\nqualify for permanent residency.<\/p>\n
This declaration is in keeping with a resolution approved by
\nthe People's National Congress of China on May 22, 1996.<\/p>\n
The resolution regulates the main aspects of citizenship
\nincluding those of mainland Chinese, Chinese descendants born
\noutside of Hong Kong, foreigners of Chinese descent and holders
\nof foreign passports.<\/p>\n
About 36,000 Indonesians reside in Hong Kong, 3,000 of them
\nare permanent residents, 21,000 are female workers and 12,000 are
\nnon-permanent residents. (01)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/minimum-visa-changes-after-hong-kong-handover-1447893297",
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