畢道
布政司署
香港下亞
** OUR REF.: SCR 6/2091/55
* Your Ref.:
RE Allen Esq
CONFIDENTIAL
Far Eastern Department
F CO
Dear Roger,
IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA
1474
FEH 021/
-30078
18
122
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIA
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
26 September, 1978
1. Enlis
2 cc
Ex
HKGD RD (FE)
ть натереть of Sammel
A
六
Thank you for copying to us Hugh Cortazzi's minute of 4 September to Richard Samuel about his conversation with the Chinese Chargé d'Affaires that day. If you or anyone else has the opportunity you might like to pick Chu Chi-yuan up on his reference (para. 1d) to emigrants from China not knowing until they get to Hong Kong whether they will be able to secure entry to onward destinations.
2.
only
In a world where few things are certain there are precious few exceptions to the rule that emigrants from China who do not have a visa for their overseas destination before leaving China will not be able to obtain one in Hong Kong. In August we had 1,221 arrivals on CPG passports whose claimed onward destination was the Philippines: one had a visa. I am not aware of any reason except, perhaps, the expense of going to Peking, why those "going" to countries with which China has diplomatic relations should not apply to embassies in Peking. Those who succeed in returning from China to Malaysia or Singapore are of course countable on the fingers of a cross-eyed butcher. As far as I know, the rare exceptions will be due to relatives overseas having succeeded in making the case to the local authorities and some form of documentation should always be available, if not a formal visa (cf the US visa promise" letters).
The Chinese know all this, but there is no harm in reminding them.
3.
CC
K Sullivan Esq (Peking)
Yours ever,
Ian
(I C Orr)
CONFIDENTIAL