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HKK 349/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
- 8 AUG 1933
CONFIDENTIAL
1/8/5
(66)
ра
HKK 349/1
FROM: R D Clift
DESK OFFICEN
NSTAY
INDEX
Pa
Accun Taken
Hong Kong Department
DATE: 29 July 1983
PS/MR LUCE
LUCA Mincite
cc:
PS/PUS
Mr Donald
NTD
FED
PCD
Consular Dept
Mr Whomersley) Legal
Mr Burrows ) Advisers
CHINESE VISA OFFICE IN HONG KONG
PROBLEM
1. To agree a draft text of the Understanding to present to the Chinese establishing immunities and privileges for the Chinese Visa Office in Hong Kong.
RECOMMENDATION
2.
I recommend that HMA should be instructed to give the Chinese
an amended version of a draft Understanding (text attached).
FED, NTD, PCD and Legal Advisers agree. I submit a draft
telegram.
BACKGROUND AND ARGUMENT
3. The Chinese MFA have operated a Visa Office in Hong Kong
since November 1981. Ministers agreed in 1979 that it should be
established in order to facilitate travel between Hong Kong and China and to make it easier for us to continue to oppose Chinese requests for official representation in Hong Kong. It opened following the signature of a UK/China Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Peking on 23 September 1981 arranging for certain privileges and immunities to be granted to the Visa Office and
its members. These were privileges and immunities which the Hong Kong Government could grant by administrative action, without requiring special legislation. In practice they were similar to those already provided informally for the New China
CONFIDENTIAL
/News Agency