British Consulate-General, Hong Kong

The British Consulate-General Hong Kong, located at 1 Supreme Court Road, Admiralty

Admiralty, Hong Kong

Admiralty is the eastern extension of central business district of the Central on the Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong. It is located on the eastern end of the Central and Western District, bordered by Wan Chai to the east and Victoria Harbour to the north. The name of Admiralty refers to the former...

on Hong Kong Island

Hong Kong Island

Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...

, is the largest British consulate-general and is bigger than many British embassies and high commissions abroad. It is responsible for maintaining British ties with Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

and Macao

Mação

Mação is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 400.0 km² and a total population of 7,763 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of eight parishes, and is located in the Santarém District....

.

The British Consulate-General is also the Regional Passport Processing Centre, handling passport applications from British citizens resident elsewhere in Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

, including mainland China

Mainland China

Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...

.

Previously, it also processed applications received by the British Trade and Cultural Office in the Republic of China

Republic of China

The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...

, which is commonly known

Pars pro toto

Pars pro toto is Latin for "a part for the whole" where the name of a portion of an object or concept represents the entire object or context....

as Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

, the name of its main island. Besides, it also receives registrations of marriages from British nationals in the Republic of China, although there is no legal requirement for British nationals to do so.

Due to Hong Kong's unique status, the consul-general reports directly to the Foreign Office, instead of going through the British Embassy in Beijing.

An unprecedented open recruitment exercise was held to search for Bradley's successor. Andrew Seaton assumed the position on 22 April 2008.

The consulate-general was designed by British architects Terry Farrell and Partners

Terry Farrell (architect)

Sir Terry Farrell, CBE, RIBA, FRSA, FCSD, MRTPI is a British architect.-Life and career:Farrell was born in Sale, Cheshire. As a youth he moved to Newcastle upon Tyne, where he attended St Cuthbert's High School. He graduated with a degree from Newcastle University, followed by a Masters in urban...

. Occupied in October 1996, it was a HK$ 290 million project, with the British Council

British Council

The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...

in an adjoining building opened in the following December.

Together with the United States Consulate General, the Consulate General of Malaysia, and the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia, the British Consulate-General is among the few consulates-general in the territory to have its own buildings.

List of British Consul-General to Hong Kong and Macao

Name	Tenure Begin	Tenure End	Birth Date	British Monarch	Hong Kong Chief Exceutive
Robert Francis Cornish Francis Cornish Francis Cornish, CMG LVO, is a retired British diplomat. He has served as the Foreign Office spokesman for Douglas Hurd, senior trade commissioner to Hong Kong , consul-general to Hong Kong and Macao , head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's news department, and ambassador to Israel... 鄺富劭	1 July 1997	November 1997	18 May 1942 (age 69)	Queen Elizabeth II	Tung Chee-hwa→ Sir Donald Tsang Donald Tsang Sir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, GBM, KBE is the current Chief Executive and President of the Executive Council of the Government of Hong Kong.... → Henry Tang Henry Tang Henry Tang Ying-yen, GBM, GBS, JP was the Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong until his resignation in September 2011. He is a candidate in the Hong Kong Chief Executive election of 2012, and believed to be preferred by Beijing.... → Sir Donald Tsang Donald Tsang Sir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, GBM, KBE is the current Chief Executive and President of the Executive Council of the Government of Hong Kong....
Sir Robert Andrew Burns Robert Andrew Burns Sir Robert Andrew Burns, KCMG is a former diplomat in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.-Early life:He was born on 21 July 1943 and educated at Highgate School. He graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge with a Master of Arts .-Diplomatic career:He was with the Diplomatic Service... 貝恩德爵士	November 1997	June 2000	21 July 1943 (age 68)
Sir James William Hodge 何進爵士	June 2000	November 2003	24 December 1943 (age 68)
Stephen Edward Bradley Stephen Bradley (diplomat) Stephen Edward Bradley is a British diplomat and Consul-General to Hong Kong from 2003 to 2008. From 1988 to 1993 he served in the Hong Kong Government as Deputy Political Adviser. He is known in Chinese as 柏聖文... 柏聖文	November 2003	March 2008	4 April 1958 (age 53)
Andrew James Seaton 奚安竹	March 2008		20 April 1954 (age 57)		Sir Donald Tsang Donald Tsang Sir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, GBM, KBE is the current Chief Executive and President of the Executive Council of the Government of Hong Kong....

BN(O) files

Files pertaining to the holders of the British National (Overseas)

British National (Overseas)

British National , commonly known as BN, is one of the major classes of British nationality under British nationality law. Holders of this nationality are British nationals and Commonwealth citizens, but not British Citizens...

passport were handed to the Consulate-General from the Immigration Department of Hong Kong

Immigration Department (Hong Kong)

The Immigration Department of the Government of Hong Kong is responsible for immigration control of Hong Kong. After the People's Republic of China assumed sovereignty of the territory in July 1997, Hong Kong's immigration system remained largely unchanged from its British predecessor model...

prior to the handover.

List of British Consul-General to Hong Kong and Macao

BN(O) files

See also