PRIORITY
CYPHER CAT/A
GRPS 280
I'M HONG KONG 190440Z
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED
IN HO. 51
see 12 in attached fito
25 MAR 1977 Can I phoco ses*.
lakk 345/509
TO PRIORITY MOSCOW TELEGRAM NO 001 OF 19 MARCH
INFO PRIORITY F C O (FOR MVD AND FED).
*
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 001: VISAS FOR SOVIET SCIENTISTS,
FOLLOWING FROM POLITICAL ADVISER,
(13
вож
D'24/3.
+ Bancak
bolow.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR HEAD OF CHANCERY'S ROBUST ANSWER TO SOVIET COMPLAINTS. WE HOPE YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO OFFER ANY. FURTHER EXPLANATION, ALTHOUGH THE LINE THAT HONG KONG IS SELF-EVIDENTLY '' A SPECIAL CASE'' MAY BE HELPFUL.
Sa fie
2. FOR YOUR OWN BACKGROUND INFORMATION, DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING OF HONG KONG UNIVERSITY WERE ASKED BY LEHIGH UNIVERSITY AT THE BEGINNING OF 1976 TO JOIN IN ORGANISING THE CURRENT CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG AND SUBSEQUENTLY SOUGHT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S ADVICE, WHILE THEY WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO OBJECTION IN PRINCIPLE TO THE PROPOSED CONFERENCE TAKING PLACE IN HONG KONG, THEY WERE CATEGORICALLY WARNED BOTH IN WRITING AND ORALLY THAT WOULD-BE PARTICIPANTS
FROM THE SOVIET UNION, EASTERN EUROPE AND TAIWAN MIGHT NOT BE GRANTED VISAS. THEY WERE ALSO TOLD THAT THERE WOULD BE NO OBJECTION TO INDIVIDUALS FROM THESE COUNTRIES SUBMITTING PAPERS WHICH COULD BE READ AND DISCUSSED AT THE CONFERENCE, A DEVICE WHICH WAS APPARENTLY USED SUCCESSFULLY AT THE PREVIOUS CONFERENCE
HELD IN DELFT IN HOLLAND.
3. CARE WAS ALSO TAKEN TO ASK HONG KONG UNIVERSITY TO ENSURE
THAT LEHIGH UNIVERSITY WERE EQUALLY AWARE OF THE SPECIAL PROBLEMS WHICH VISITORS FROM THE SOVIET UNION AND EASTERN EUROPE POSE FOR HONG KONG. WE ARE SORRY THAT THESE PRECISE AND CAREFUL WARNINGS APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN IGNORED BY THE UNIVERSITIES, ALTHOUGH THE RUSSIANS WILL HAVE THEIR OWN REASONS FOR PLAYING UP THEIR AIR OF
INDIGNATION.
MACLEHOSE
PASSPORT CONTROL DISTRIBUTION
MVD EESD HKD
IRD
PUSD
LAAT
(12)
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REF.
CONFIDENTIAL