the
349/1
ALCEIVED IN HEGISTRY
5 APR 1974
DESK OFFIC
INDEX
A
B
C
D
[
CONFIDENTIAL
B&
FROM:
Babam Done 4/4 TAPI anange for
суру
ye
Li go
Sirth. Yorude
Dr Wilson
PS/Mr Luce
UK/CHINA CONSULAR AGREEMENT
CC:
Mark Elliott
pa. Clunes
R8
ma
Una Office.
Far Eastern Department
DATE:
4 April 1984
PS/Mr Whitney
)
with flag
Lord N Gordon Lennox)
Mr Clift, HKD-
Mr Partridge, NTD
Mr Whomersley, Legal Advisers
Mr. Hoare wither
Mr Thomson's submission of 29 March. Mr Luce has asked:
i)
ii)
whether we are aiming to conclude negotiations on the Consular Agreement before the Secretary of State arrives in China; and
who will be responsible for the UK legal formalities (paragraph 5 of the submission) : will he be involved; are other participants in the process fully in the picture?
Separately, in his minute of 30 March, Dr Wilson has asked a variant of question (i).
Implications for the Secretary of State's Visit
2.
If the remaining obstacles on the Chinese Visa Office in Hong Kong (paragraph 4 of the submission) can be removed in time, it would add much worthwhile non-Hong Kong substance to the Secretary of State's visit if he could sign the Consular Agreement in Peking. Furthermore, it may be possible to use the momentum of his visit to overcome these obstacles, although our Embassy in Peking consider that the chances of success are
low. (Peking telno 621., 21
3.
•
We are nevertheless currently making the attempt. The present position is that we have instructed the Embassy to propose an amended version of the latest Chinese draft Under- standing on the Visa Office as soon as possible (FCO telno 624); it is hoped that the Chinese will agree to this text and: consequently, to signature of the Consular Agreement during the Secretary of State's visit. If so, the Visa Office Under- standing will be submitted to Exco for approval on 10 April. There would then be no reason why both the Consular Agreement and the Hong Kong Visa Office Memorandum should not be signed together by the Secretary of State.
ļ
CONFIDENTIAL
/UK