LONDON (Reuters) – Britain on Thursday said the Hong Kong government had no authority to dictate which passports foreign governments recognise as valid after the former colony told 14 countries to stop accepting a British travel document for some visas.
The Hong Kong government confirmed a Reuters report that it had told 14 countries to stop accepting a British travel document that many of its young people use to apply for working holiday visas in Europe, North America and parts of Asia.
“The Hong Kong government has no authority to dictate which passports foreign governments recognise as valid,” a spokeswoman for the British Foreign Office said. “The UK will continue to issue British Nationals (Overseas) passports which remain valid travel documents.”
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Kate Holton)
