CONFIDENTIAL
19.
Huang Hua said that he would like to suggest that the authorities in Hong Kong grant 7 days stay instead of 48 hours so that private PRC citizens passing through Hong Kong were
able to complete all procedures for travelling to their onward
destination, handle their personal affairs and visit their
relatives. If they had justifiable reasons they should be
allowed an extension of one month. For those who did not
have justifiable reasons and who attempted to stay longer than
one month these should be sent back. Huang Hua said that China would receive such persons if they come from the Chinese
mainland.
20. Huang Hua said that private PRC Citizens passing through Hong Kong should receive equal treatment with nationals from
other countries. They should not be detained at the airport and
they should be allowed to contact friends and relatives.
21.
Huang Hua said that there was also a further problem in
that at present private PRC citizens wishing to transit Hong
Kong to a third country must travel to Lo Wu to apply for their
visas. This was very inconvenient and he asked if the British
Embassy in Peking could handle such visa applications, or if possible the China Travel Service. Huang Hua asked if agreement could be reached in principle because he received many letters
and found it difficult to give a satisfactory answer.
22.
In
Lord Carrington said that he was not familiar with these questions but that he would contact the Governor of Hong Kong to find out what the position was. Sir Percy Cradock said the Chinese request to process visa applications here would impose an almost impossible administrative burden on the Mission.
addition there would also be a large number of enquiries which
must be made which were best made locally at Lo Wu. But, as Lord Carrington said, we would look into it again. Huang Hua hoped that a solution could be found to the problem as many PRC citizens spent time and money in travelling to Lo Wu and when they got there most of them were refused a visa. In addition
CONFIDENTIAL
/the