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NOTE FOR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
DESK OFFIC
CHINESE VISA OFFICE IN HONG KONG
No ya.. Pas 13/10
the Syrew
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The Council approved, on 18th August, arrangements for setting up in Hong Kong a Visa Office of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the basis of an exchange of agreed memoranda. Under this arrangement we have agreed to certain privileges, which can be granted by administrative action, for the Visa Office and its members. We have said that we cannot agree to further privileges, such as are given to members of the Consular Corps, which would require separate legislation. The Chinese have accepted this position but said that they will wish to press for these additional privileges once the Visa Office is established.
2
The agreed memoranda were exchanged in Peking on 23rd A, B September. Texts are attached. In general terms the arrangement is such
that the functions of the Visa Office are limited to issuing visas. It is not to be a representative office. The privileges given to the office and its members, to allow it to function without difficulty, are in practice similar to those already provided informally for the New China News Agency.
3
When the memoranda were exchanged, the British Embassy also made a number of points orally, as follows: (i) the Visa Office is to function initially as in the British memorandum of 19th June (i.e. taxes and duties which have not been exempted will be paid); (ii) full details of the names of members of the Visa Office and their dependants are to be provided at regular intervals to the Political Adviser's office; (iii) the Visa Office will not issue passports; (iv) the New China News Agency and its Directors will continue to be the normal local channel of contact between the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities on all matters except the issue of visas; and (v) since the Visa Office is not a consulate it will not be listed in the Hong Kong list of Commissioners etc, nor would it be appropriate to use other consular symbols, e.g. CC plates on cars. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs accepted these points, although they said they might wish to ask, in exceptional cases, for arrangements to issue a passport to a Chinese passport holder who was temporarily in Hong Kong for a few days and had lost his passport.
4
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs have said that staff for the Visa Office will be sent to Hong Kong as soon as possible but that some time will be needed to make preparations before the office can open for business. They have said that the question of a public announcement can be discussed after the arrival of the staff in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, we do not intend to make any public announcement about the Visa Office. When the time comes for a ...public announcement from the Chinese, we will treat the matter in a low-key manner; emphasising that the Visa Office is being set up to provide better practical arrangements for the growing amount of travel from, and through, Hong Kong to China and that it has no other functions.
25th Septe
G.S. 166 (SCR 1/2 CONFIDENTIAL
191
PENCI
NCIL CHAMBER