GR 550
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 240646Z NOV
TO ROUTINE FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1051 OF 24 NOVEMBER
INFO PEKING
CHINESE VISA OFFICE
TOP COPY
HKK 349/1
RECLIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 27 NOV 1981
DFSK OFFICER
INDEX
کنا
W/27/11 140 30/μ
IAL GALLO
1. WHEN THE DIRECTOR OF THE VISA OFFICE PAID
POLITICAL ADVISER EARLIER THIS MONTH HE SOUGHT AGREEMENT TO HIS OFFICE ISSUING PASSPORTS TO CERTAIN CHINESE PASSPORT HOLDERS WHOSE PASSPORTS WERE LOST, FULL, OR HAD EXPIRED. THE CATEGORIES MENTIONED WERE:-
(1) CHINA-BASED STAFF SERVING IN HONG KONG:
95
See (96 97
(11) CHINESE OFFICIAL PASSPORT HOLDERS IN TRANSIT:
111) OVERSEAS CHINESE TRANSITING HONG KONG.
POLITICAL ADVISER UNDERTOOK TO CONSIDER THE REQUEST BUT AGAINST
THE BACKGROUND THAT THE AGREEMENT REACHED IN PEKING WAS THAT THE VISA OFFICE WOULD ONLY ISSUE VISAS.
2. THE POSSIBILITY OF ISSUING REPLACEMENTS FOR LOST PASSPORTS TO CATEGORY (111) ABOVE WAS RAISED BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE MFA'S CONSULAR DEPARTMENT (AS A QUOTE PERSONAL UNQUOTE SUGGESTION) AT THE TIME THE MEMORANDUM WAS SIGNED. THE POINT WAS NOT CONCEDED AND NIE GONGCHENG ENDORSED THE PRINCIPLE THAT THE VISA OFFICE SHOULD
NOT ISSUE PASSPORTS (PEKING TELNO 581)
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3. IT WOULD NO DOUBT BE CONVENIENT AND AVOID FRICTION IF WE WERE TO ALLOW THE VISA OFFICE SOME LATITUDE OVER THE ISSUE OF PASSPORTS (THE NCNA HAVE TOLD US THAT BECAUSE OF THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT TO CARRY IDENTIFICATION IN HONG KONG CHINA-BASED PERSONNEL HERE ARE IN DIFFICULTY WHEN THEIR PASSPORTS HAVE TO BE SENT BACK TO CHINA FOR RENEWAL). BUT THEIR REQUEST IS OPEN TO SERIOUS OBJECTIONS:~
(A) THE AGREED MEMORANDUM STATES CLEARLY THAT THE FUNCTIONS OF THE VISA OFFICE QUOTE WILL BE RESTRICTED TO THE ISSUE OF VISAS UNQUOTE. THE ISSUE OF PASSPORTS WAS NOT ONE OF THE POINTS LISTED IN THE MEMORANDUM WHICH THE CHINESE GAVE NOTICE THEY WISHED TO PURSUE.
(B) IT WOULD SET A BAD PRECEDENT IF WE WERE TO AGREE AT THE OUTSET
W A SIGNIFICANT DEROGATION FROM THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT.
(C) ONCE THE BREACH HAD BEEN MADE THE CHINESE WOULD NO DOUBT SEEK D WIDEN IT. AS IT IS THERE ARE ABOUT 1,000 HOLDERS OF DIPLOMATIC AND SERVICE PASSPORTS (MOSTLY THE LATTER) IN CATEGORY (1) IN PARAGRAPH 1.
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CONFIDENTIAL
/ 4. IT WOULD