(106)
(107)·
GR 950
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 14040OZ DEC 83
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1344 OF 14 DECEMBER
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
YOUR TELNO 850: CHINESE VISA OFFICE IN HONG KONG
349/1
Byg, HKK 349
ECEIVED RECISTRY
I
Da. 20DIC 03
DESK OLF
INDEX
(102)
1. H OF CALLED ON LIN YONGPIN OF CONSULAR DEPAPTMENT
ON 13 DECEMBER. HE PASSED OVER OUR AMENDED VEPSION OF THE CHINESE DRAFT AS AUTHORISED IN YOUR TELNO 333, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE POINT ABOUT THE VISA OFFICE PEPORTING REPLACEMENT PASSPORTS TO IMMIG ATION DEPARTMENT, (SEE BELOW). FOR EASE OF PEFERENCE THE TEXT HANDED OVER IS CONTAINED IN MIFT.
2. GALSWOPTHY SAID THAT WE WERE BROADLY IN AGREEMENT WITH THE
CHINESE DRAFT, BUT HAD MADE MINOR AMENDMENTS IN SOME PLACES
FOR THE SAKE OF CLARITY AND TO ENSURE THAT ALL CHINESE CONCERNS
WERE MET. HE WENT OVER THESE ONE BY ONE EXPLAINING THE PEASONS
FOR OUR CHANGES. LIN DID NOT COMMENT ON ANY OF OUR AMENDMENTS
EXCEPT FOR THE REINSTATEMENT OF THE WOPD ''SEARCH' IN PAPA 1(7)
IN PLACE OF INSPECTION'. THERE IS SOME DIFFERENCE OF MEANING IN THE CHINESE WORDS: SEARCH, SCUCHA (CCC NUMBERS: 2292, 2696) IS RATHER STRONGER IN MEANING THAN INSPECTION, NJIANCHA (CCC NUMBERS 2914, 2626) AND THE USE OF THE FOPMER SEEMS TO WORRY THE CHINESE, BECAUSE THEY FEEL IT MIGHT IMPLY LIABILITY TO INSPECTION, BUT NOT SEARCH. GALSWORTHY EXPLAINED THAT IN ENGLISH THERE WAS PRACTICALLY YO DIFFERENCE AND SAID THAT HIS UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT EXEMPTION FROM SEARCH WOULD INCLUDE EXEMPTION FROMD OPENING BAGGAGE FOR INSPECTION OF ANY KIND, EXCEPT IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES DETAILED. GPATEFUL FOR CONFIRMATIC OF THIS.
LIN SAID HE WOULD REFLECT ON THIS. THE ANSWER MIGHT
BE FOP THE CHINESE VERSION OF THE UNDERSTANDING TO PETAIN
JIANCHA' AND THE ENGLISH VERSION TO USE ''SEARCH''. IF OUR
UNDERSTANDING OF THE TEPM IS AS AOVE THIS SHOULD PRESENT NO DIFFICULTY.
3. GALSWORTHY THEN EXPLAINED WHY HE HAD LEFT A BLANK IN THE SECTION DEALING WITH REPLACEMENT PASSPORTS. HE DETAILED THE PRACTICAL NATURE OF THE PROBLEM AND SAID THAT THE ONLY SENSIBLE WAY TO AVOID INCIDENTS AT THE FRONTIER WHICH WOULD GIVE RISE TO COMPLAINTS AND CAUSE ILL WILL WAS TO INSTITUTE AN AGPEED ARRANGEMENT WHEREBY ALL REPLACEMENT PASSPORTS WERE PASSED, AS A MATTER OF COURSE, TO IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT FOR ENDOPSEMENT WITH PERMISSION TO DE IN HONG KONG BEFOPE ISSUE TO THE APPLICANT. THIS SHOULD NOT BE DIFFICULT AS THE VISA OFFICE ALREADY SENT
LARGE NUMBERS OF TRAVEL DOCUMENTS TO THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT FOR ENDOPSEMENT, AND COOPERATION SETWEEN THE THO WAS EXCELLENT. HE SAID THAT THE CHINESE PROPOSAL UNDER WHICH THE RECIPIENTS OF REPLACEMENT PASSPORTS SHOULD THEMSELVES HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY
CONFIDENTIAL
PA
(108)
Action Luken
see (110)
1