PEKING TL 538
TO FCC
204
CONFIDENTIAL
TELELETTER
FROM
Comribi
R N PEIRCE, PEKING
383 36
30 DEC 1980
30 DECEMBER 1994
FOLLOWING FOR
UK/PRC AIR SERVICES:
AR PAUL ESQ, FED, FCO
VISA ARRANGEMENTS
1. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LETTER OF 12 DECEMBER.
2.
THE POSITION REMAINS AS REPORTED IN CUR TELEGRAMS 724 OF 6 NOVEMBER AND 727 OF 7 NOVEMBER, IE THE CHINESE HAVE NOT YET GIVEN US THEIR FINAL DECISON ON WHETHER 3 NOT THEY WILL ACCEPT HONG KONG BRITISH PASSPORTS. THE OPAL UNDERSTANDING CANNOT BE REACHED WITHOUT AN ANSWER OV HONG KONG PASSPORTS.
3. SINCE THE TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENT FOR THE ACCEPTANCE OF HONG KONG PASSPORTS SEEMED TO BE WORKING WELL, WE SAW NO REASON WHY IT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE INDEFINITELY. WE ASSUMED THAT THE ABSENCE OF A REPLY FROM THE CHINESE MEANT THAT THEY TOO SAW THE TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENT AS A WAY OF AVOIDING MAKING A COMMITMENT ON A DIFFICULT QUESTION. CONSEQUENTLY WE HAVE NOT PRESSED FOR AN ANSWER, AND I HAVE NOT CALLED ON ZHANG ZHENKAI SINCE 6 NOVEMBER.
4. HOWEVER, WHEN I MET ZHANG ZHENKAI SOCIALLY THE CTHER DAY HE ASKED ME WHETHER BA CREW MEMBERS ALL CARRIED CREW CARDS'' I BELIEVE HE ASKED SHAW (BA) THE SAME QUESTION BEFORE SHAW LEFT PEKING ON LEAVE. IT APPEARS FROM THIS THAT CONSULAR DEPARTMENT MIGHT BE CONSIDERING AN ARRANGEMENT WHEREBY CREW LICENCES ARE USED INSTEAD OF PASSPORTS OR OTHER TRAVEL DOCUMENTS, THIS IS THE SYSTEM USED BY CAAC ON THEIR FLIGHTS. TO HONG KONG.
5. ! BELIEVE THAT NOT ALL BA CREW MEMBERS HAVE THESE LICENCES, AND I SAID. AS MUCH TO ZHANG. BUT YOU MIGHT WISH TO MAKE
ENQUIRIES AT YOUR END, AS TO WHAT OUR RESPONSE TO SUCH A
PROPOSAL (IF IT IS MADE) SHOULD BE. THERE MAY BE
OBJECTIONS ON IMMIGRATION GROUNDS AS WELL AS PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES ON THE PART OF BA.
6.
I AM COPYING BY BAG TO APA HONG KONG.
R N PEIRCE
NNNN
CONFIDENTIAL