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TOP COPY
GRS 850
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
CHKK 345/4
FROM PEKING 14091OZ APR 84
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 751 OF 14/4/34
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
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YOUR TEL NO 404: TRANSIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR PRC PASSPORT HOLDERS
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1. THE CHINESE WITHDREW THEIR AMENDMENT TO THE FIRST
SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH THREE. THEY ALSO DECIDED THAT THEY
WISHED TO KEEP TO AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE BRITISH
EMBASSY AND THE CONSULAR DEPARTMENT. HOWEVER ON ATTEMPTING TO CHECK THE TEXT THIS MORNING
WE DISCOVERED THAT AT
SOME STAGE THEY HAVE HAD A NEW TRANSLATION MADE, WHICH HAS RESULTED IN CONSIDEREABLE CHANGES TO THE ENGLISH TEXT,
MORE SERIOUSLY WE ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THEIR TEXT
LEFT OUT ALTOGETHER THE SECOND SENTENCE OF
PARAGRAPH THREE: **THE CHINESE SIDE WILL ALSO ACCEPT
THOSE CHINESE CITIZENS RESIDING OUTSIDE CHINA
HOLDING ORDINARY PASSPORTS OR TRAVEL PERMITS GOING THROUGH HONG KONG TO THE MAINLAND OF CHINA TO TAKE UP
RESIDENCE WHO STAY OVER THE GIVEN TIME IN HONG KONG''. SONG YOUMING MADE NO MENTION OF THIS YESTERDAY EVEN THOUGH
GALSWORTHY ACTUALLY PROPOSED A MINOR CHANGE TO THE ENGLISH VERSION OF IT.
2. WE HAVE HAD LONG AND DIFFICULT DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CONSULAR DEPARTMENT MOST OF TODAY ABOUT THESE CHANGES. ON THE MAJOR CHANGE OF SUBSTANCE IN PARAGRAPH THREE, IT APPEARS THAT WHEN SONG
SAW GALSWORTHY ON 9 FEBRUARY HE HAD BEEN AUTHORISED TO PROPOSE THE NEW SENTENCE SPECIFIED IN PARAGRAPH TWO OF OUR
TEL NO 215 AS A REPLACEMENT FOR THE SENTENCE WHICH HAS NOW BEEN LEFT OUT AND NOT AS AN ADDITION TO IT. BOTH GALSWORTHY AND MISS BARKER-HARLAND WHO WAS PRESENT ARE CLEAR THAT THIS
WAS NOT WHAT SONG ACTUALLY SAID ON 2 FEBRUARY, BUT IT
IS BY NO MEANS THE FIRST TIME THAT HE HAS GOT THINGS WRONG.
3. THE CHINESE MAINTAINED STRONGLY TODAY THAT THE
SENTENCE QUOTED IN PARAGRAPH 1 ABOVE WAS UNNECESSARY BECAUSE ITS WHOLE MEANING WAS CONTAINED IN THE SENTENCE BEGINNING
'AS FOR CHINESE CITIZENS RESIDING OUTSIDE CHIN.... THERE IS SOMETHING IN THIS. HOWEVER GALSWORTHY MAINTAINED THAT HE HAD NO AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT THE DELETION OF THE
SENTENCE IN QUESTION.
CONFIDENTIAL
14.