WITH THE CHINESE MFA. GRATEFUL FOR INSTRUCTIONS.
MODALITIES OF VISA ISSUE
6. LIU THEN MADE A STRONG REQUEST THAT HONG KONG VISAS SHOULD BE ISSUED BY THIS EMBASSY. IF THE EMBASSY COULD NOT HANDLE ALL THE TRAFFIC, (AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE EXISTENCE OF ADMINISTRATIVE DIFFICULTIES, OF WHICH I REMINDED HIM), HE PROPOSED THIS EMBASSY SHOULD PROCESS VISA APPLICATIONS FOR RESIDENTS OF NORTH CHINA
WHILE THE CHINA TRAVEL SERVICE COULD DELIVER VISA APPLICATIONS TO
LO WU ON BEHALF OF SOUTHERN RESIDENTS. I MENTIONED THE DIFFIC-
ULTIES OF USING CTS, AND SAID THAT IN MOST CASES THE IMMIGRATION
OFFICERS NEEDED TO INTERVIEW APPLICANTS PERSONALLY.
7. LIU SAID IT WAS AN UNHEARD-OF SITUATION'' THAT AN EMBASSY
COULD NOT HANDLE VISA APPLICATIONS FOR A TERRITORY UNDER ITS
GOVERNMENT'S ADMINISTRATION. HE HAD PERSONALLY WITNESSED THE
DIFFICULTIES OF SOME CHINESE CITIZENS AT SHENZHEN WHO HAD BEEN
DENIED ENTRANCE AT LO WU (HE SAID SIMILAR DIFFICULTIES WOULD
APPLY TO THOSE TURNED BACK AT KAITAK). SPEAKING AS ON 28 MAY, HE
EXPLAINED THAT BEFORE CHINESE CITIZENS COULD GO TO THE HONG KONG
BORDER. THEY HAD TO CANCEL FOOD RATION ARRANGEMENTS, RESIDENCE PERMITS ETC. IF THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER HONG KONG, EVEN FOR PURPOSES OF TRANSIT, IT CAUSED THEM GREAT HARDSHIP. SOME OF
THEM FELF JUSTIFIED IN ASKING THE MEA IF THE PROFESSED FRIENSHIP
BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA WAS REAL OR NOT. LIU REFERRED TO THE
FACT THAT HUANG HUA HAD RAISED THIS MATTER WITH LORD CARRINGTON
AND REPEATED THAT IT WAS A MATTER OF IMPORTANCE. HE ALLEGED THAT
IT HAD BEEN ''HANDLED IN AN UNBELIEVABLY COMPLICATED WAY'' AND
ASKED THAT WE RECONSIDER OUR POSITION. HE ALLEGED THAT ONLY A
TRANSIT PROBLEM WAS INVOLVED, SINCE CHINA WOULD ACCEPT HER CITIZENS
BACK IF THEY DID NOT IN FACT CONTINUE ON THEIR JOURNEYS TO OTHER
COUNTRIES.
COMMENT
8. LIU MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE MFA GAVE THIS QUESTION AN IMPORTANT
POLITICAL DIMENSION. HE WOULD NOT HAVE SPOKEN AS HE DID HAD THE
MATTER NOT BEEN RVIEWED AT MINISTERIAL LEVEL IN THE MFA. 1 RECOMMEND THAT, AS THE NEXT STEP, WE IMPLEMENT FAIRLY SOON THE SUGGESTION IN PARAGRAPH 4 OF PEKING TELNO 390 OF 29 MAY. IT MAY ALSO BE DESIRABLE, FOR USE AS A FALL-BACK POSITION IF NEEDED, TO PEAK TO THE MFA ON THE LINES PROPOSED IN PARAGRAPH 2 (11) OF HONG KONG TELNO 468 TO FCO OF 2 MAY, IE GIVING THE CHINESE THE PROSPECT OF AN ARRANGEMENT MORE SATISFACTORY TO THEM IN THE LONGER TERM. IT WOULD ALSO BE USEFUL FOR US TO BE ABLE TO TELL THE CHINESE
- IF ONLY AS A PALLIATIVE WHICH WILL NOT SATISFY THEM THE PERCENTAGE OF WOULD-BE TRANSITEES WHO ARE DENIED ENTRY AT LOWU.
2
CONFIDENTAL
DISCRIMINATION