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overnment servant, irrespective of rank, should visit Taiwan on duty. This decision still stands. But The rules have ben relaxed to per nit government servants travelling on duty by air to use services which have Taipei as an intermediate stop, without reference to the FCO. (On no account, however, must any government servant be in charge of, or carrying, classified material unless he is properly documented as a courier and in the company of at least one other government servant. Separate instructions cover QMs.)
11. In general, there is no objection to private visits by government servants to Tarwan provided that these receive no publicity. Any government servant proposing to make a private visit to Taiwan (eg on leave) should inform Far Eastern Department (FED) of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in advance. Certain Embassies in the Far East have standing authority to permit members of their staff to visit Taiwan on leave, subject to clearance with FED in any cases of doubt. Private visits by officers serving as Heads of Diplomatic Missions are however unlikely to be permitted save in exceptional circumstances. Members of the armed forces making private visits to Taiwan should in no circumstances wear uniform there.
12. Government Ministers should be advised not to visit Taiwan, even privately. Where they are obliged to transit Taipei by air they should be careful not to draw attention to their status.
13. It is important that these rules be carefully observed. If any government department or Post is in doubt about a particular project involving a possible visit to Taiwan, FED should be consulted at an early stage.
VISITS BY TAIWANESE TO THE UK
14. There are no formal restrictions on ordinary persons from Taiwan visiting this country, other than those applicable to any foreigner. Separate instructions to visa officers have recently been revised (DSP Vol 51). The great bulk of applications are processed on our behalf by the Immigration Department, Hong Kong, but Posts which receive applications from residents of Taiwan should remind themselves of the regulations. We do not recognise 'Republic of China' passports: any visa granted is endorsed on a Declaration of Identity instead.
15. Special criteria apply to applications by Nationalist Ministers and senior officials. No official invitations can be extended to Nationalist Ministers or officials to visit this country. Such people sometimes apply to visit this country of their own accord. It has been agreed with the Home Office that, in normal circumstances, we will grant visas for private visits, subject to a warning to those concerned not to engage while here in any activity likely to cause embarrassment to HMG. Each case is however reviewed on its merits. It is sometimes necessary for certain government departments (eg DOT) to make contact with such visitors. Such contacts should be very discreet, and should be discussed in advance with FED.
ATTENDANCE BY TAIWANSE AT OFFICIAL RECEPTIONS IN THE UK OR AT BRITISH OFFICIAL RI CEPTIONS IN THIRD COUNTRIES
16.
(a)
(b)
Nationalist Ministers and Officials: the formal position is that representatives of territories which we do not recognise as states are not invited to official receptions. It follows that Nationalist Ministers and officials cannot be invited to any British official reception.
Private Visitors from Taiwan: in general the same principles apply to invitations to private visitors from Taiwan to attend official British receptions. The 'recognition' criterion (see (a) above) is not relevant since private visitors do not represent the Nationalist authorities, but there could still be a risk of embarrassment in our
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