CONFIDENTIAL
440
ZHENG APPEARED TO ACCEPT AS REASONABLE OUR REQUEST THAT EXIT PERMITS FOR TRAVEL TO THIRD COUNTRIES SHOULD ONLY BE ISSUED TO HOLDERS OF EITHER VISAS FOR THE COUNTRY OF DESTINATION OR
HONG KONG TRANSIT VISAS AND SAID THAT LOCAL AUTHORITIES WOULD DE ADVISED ACCORDINGLY, THIS HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE IN RESPONSE TO MOUR EARLIER APPROACH (OUR TELNO,61). HE THOUGHT THAT MUCH CONFU- STON HAD ARISEN OVER THE FACT THAT EARLIER, TRAVELLERS TO THE USA HAD NEEDED TO TRAVEL TO HONG KONG TO OBTAIN THEIR VISAS, AND THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES HAD HAD DIFFICULTY IN DISTINGUISHING RELEVANT AND VALID DOCUMENTATION FROM INVALID. HE AGREED THAT WITH THE OPENING OF THE US CONSULATE-GENERAL IN GUANGZHOU THERE SHOULD BE NO NEED FOR TRAVELLERS TO THE US TO LEAVE CHINA WITHOUT
VISAS.
5.
I SHALL MENTION THESE ISSUES TO ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER
SONG ZHIGUANG WHEN I SEE HIM.
CRADOCK
FILES HKIG-D.
FED
SEAD.
UND
MR MURRAY
COPIES TO
HONG-KONG GOUT Office
2.-
CONFIDENTIAL.
i