GRS 700
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 06040OZ JAN 81
CONFIDENTIAL
AKK 349/1
RECEIVED IN GISTRY NO. 51
1 1 JAN 1983
DESK OFFICER
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 10 OF 6/1783
INDEX
No
REGISTRY
Action Take
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See HKK 345/1
MKK 345/311
Seel
11 Last Yen
PA
REPEATED FOR INFO TO ROUTINE HONG KONG
건무
حسن
My font
CHINESE VISA OFFICE IN HONG KONG
BAR
park (Chinese Visa
(+81,82 files),
4
1.
HEAD OF CHANCERY AND HM CONSUL WERE CALLED TO THE
MFA CONSULAR DEPARTMENT TODAY BY LIN YONG PING,
office in HK) 2013/1
WHO RAISED ONCE AGAIN THE QUESTION OF PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES
OF THE VISA OFFICE. (OUR TEL NO 701 OF 27 OCTOBER 1982 REFERS). —NT
HE ALSO REVERTED TO THE QUESTION OF THE VISA OFFICE BEING ALLOWED
TO ISSUE REPLACEMENT PASSPORTS.
2. LIN SAID THAT THE VISA OFFICE IN HONG KONG MAD NOW BEEN
IN OPERATION FOR OVER ONE YEAR, BUT THERE WERE FOUR UNRESOLVED
PROBLEMS WHICH IT HAD BEEN AGREED THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO
DISCUSS, AND WHICH HE HOPED COULD BE SETTLED IN A
**CO-OPERATIVE SPIRIT''. THE PROBLEM AREAS WERE:
(1) THE VISA OFFICE WAS A BRANCH OF THE MFA, AND
AS SUCH BRITISH OFFICIALS IN HONG KONG HAD THE
RESPONSIBILITY TO GUARANTEE THE SAFETY
OF ITS PERSONNEL AND THE INVIOLABILITY OF ITS
PREMISES (SEMI-CLN)
(11) THE CHINESE SIDE CONSIDERED THAT ANY
PROBLEMS CONCERNING THE STAFF OF THE VISA OFFICE
SHOULD BE SETTLED THROUGH OFFICIAL CHANNELS (SEMICLN)
(111) HOMES OF OFFICIALS OF THE VISA OFFICE AND THE OFFICE ITSELF
SHOULD BE EXEMPTED FROM LOCAL TAXES AND STAFF SHOULD
BE ABLE TO IMPORT CERTAIN ARTICLES FREE FROM TAX
OR DUTY (SEMI-CLN)
(IV) THE VISA OFFICE SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO ISSUE REPLACEMENT
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS TO CHINESE CITIZENS FOR LOST
PASSPORTS, OR WHERE AN EXISTING PASSPORT CONTAINUED NO FURTHER SPACE FOR VISAS.
3. WHEN PRESSED BY GALSWORTHY TO SAY WHETHER THE CHINESE SIDE HAD EXPERIENCED PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES IN OPERATING UNDER THE EXISTING AGREEMENT, OR WHETHER THESE POINTS WERE PURELY POINTS OF PRINCIPLE, LIN EMBARKED ON A RAMBLING EXPLANATION
WHICH APPEARED TO CONTAIN ELEMENTS OF PRINCIPLE BUT IN WHICH
HE STATED THAT THE DIFFICULTIES WERE PRACTICAL. THE VISA OFFICE
CONFIDENTIAL
NEEDED