The British Consulate General Hong Kong (BCGHK), located at 1 Supreme Court Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong Island, is one of the largest British consulates general in the world and is bigger than many British embassies and high commissions. It is responsible for maintaining British ties with Hong Kong and Macau.

Together with the Consulate General of the United States of America, Hong Kong and Macau; 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 Hong Kong to be housed in its own building.

Role Due to Hong Kong's status as a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, the consul general in Hong Kong reports directly to the China Department of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, instead of to the British ambassador to Beijing, unlike consuls general in mainland China.The UK's relations with Hong Kong: 30 years after the Joint Declaration, Tenth Report of Session 2014–15, Foreign Affairs Select Committee, House of Commons, 6 March 2015, page 16 PDF The consulate general in Hong Kong also serves Macau, with several diplomats accredited specifically to Macau.

The consulate general was also the Regional Passport Processing Centre, handling passport applications from British citizens resident elsewhere in Asia.

Previously, it also processed applications received by the British Trade and Cultural Office (now called the British Office) in Taipei, Taiwan. It also received registrations of marriages from British nationals in Taiwan, although there was no legal requirement for British nationals to do so.

This role ceased in 2014, and all passport-related matters have since been handled by His Majesty's Passport Office in the UK. Furthermore, visa application matters are outsourced to a separate company since 2015.

History When Hong Kong was under British rule, the governor represented the British government, as well as the British monarch as head of state. Matters relating to British nationality were handled by the Hong Kong Immigration Department.Hong Kong's New Constitutional Order: The Resumption of Chinese Sovereignty and the Basic Law, Yash Ghai, Hong Kong University Press, 1997, page 167

During the negotiations between Britain and China on the future of Hong Kong, the British proposed the establishment of a "British commissioner" following transfer of sovereignty to China.The Chinese government resumed exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, People's Republic of China Some of the diplomatic representatives of Commonwealth countries in Hong Kong were already known as "commissioners".Hong Kong $ Directory, Local Printing Press, 1987, page 32 This was rejected by the Chinese as an attempt to make the future Hong Kong Special Administrative Region into a member or associated member of the Commonwealth.

However, the United Kingdom's commercial interests were represented by the British Trade Commission.Hunting with the Tigers: Doing Business with Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, Claudia Cragg, Pfeiffer & Company, 1993, page 417 The last senior trade commissioner (1993-1997), Francis Cornish, became the first British consul general following the transfer of sovereignty to China, on 1 July 1997.Chief Executive holds 'useful, cordial' talks with British Prime Minister, Government of Hong Kong, 22 October 1997

The consulate general was designed by British architects Terry Farrell and Partners. Opened by Princess Anne on 30 January 1997, it was a HK$290 million project, with the British Council in an adjoining building opened in December that year.Francis Cornish, South China Morning Post, 31 January 1997

The consul general has resided at a rented flat at Opus Hong Kong since 2013.Britain's Hong Kong Consul General in £35 million flat, The Daily Telegraph, 9 June 2013

List of HM consuls general List of HM consuls general in Hong Kong:

NameTenure beganTenure endedTenure lengthDate of birth (and age)when publishedPrior RoleSubsequent Role1Francis Cornish(zh)July 1997November 1997Senior Trade Commissioner to Hong KongHead of FCDO News Department2 Sir Andrew Burns(zh)November 1997June 2000Deputy Under Secretary of StateBritish High Commissioner to Canada3 Sir James Hodge(zh)June 2000November 2003British Ambassador to ThailandRetired from Diplomatic Service4Stephen Bradley(zh)November 2003March 2008Minister, Deputy Head of Mission & Consul General to Beijing, ChinaRetired from Diplomatic Service5 Andrew Seaton(zh)March 2008September 2012 Consul General to Chicago, USARetired from Diplomatic Service6Caroline Wilson(zh)September 2012 September 2016 Minister Counsellor to Moscow, RussiaEurope Director at the FCDO British Ambassador to China7Andrew Heyn(zh)September 2016December 2020Director, Leadership, Governance & Diversity Strategy at the Cabinet OfficeRetired from Diplomatic Service–Tamsin Heath (acting)December 2020July 2021Deputy Consul General to Hong KongDeputy Consul General to Hong Kong8Brian Davidson(zh)July 2021Incumbent British Ambassador to Thailand

See also British Consul General to Hong Kong and Macao List of diplomatic missions of the United Kingdom Consular missions in Hong Kong Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London Hong Kong–United Kingdom relations Foreign Office and Colonial Office Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong and Macao Consulate General of the United States, Hong Kong and Macau

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