CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

Copied to Dr Wilson.

CH913

8

FROM PEKING 13065OZ FEB 84

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 234 CF 13/2/84

REPEATED FOR INFO TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

CHINESE VISA OFFICE IN HONG KONG

TOP COP、

HKK 349/1.

REGILTRY

13 FEB 1904

PA

ад

REGISTRY

Action Taken

1. HEAD OF CHANCERY MET LIN YONG PIN OF CONSULAR DEPARTMENT

ON 10 FEBRUARY. LIN SAID THAT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN US ON THIS

MATTER WERE NOT NOW GREAT. THEY HAD STUDIED CAREFULLY THE DRAFT

AND SPEAKING NOTE WE HAD LEFT WITH THEM ON 13 DECEMBER 1983

(PEKING TEL NO 1344) HE HANDED TO US A FRESH CHINESE DRAFT.

TEXT IS IN MIFT. (107

2. THE NEW DRAFT EXPANDS CONSIDERABLY THE TEXT OF THE

DRAFT FROM WHICH BOTH WE AND THE CHINESE WERE PREVIOUSLY WORKING.

GALSWORTHY REMARKED ON THIS AND SAID HE WAS PUZZLED. IT EMERGED IN THE COURSE OF DISCUSSION THAT WHAT IRKS THE CHINESE IS

REFERENCE TO CONSULAR OFFICERS OR COURIERS. LIN WAS AT PAINS

TO POINT OUT THAT VISA OFFICE STAFF AND COURIERS ARE NOT

(NOT) DIPLOMATIC OR CONSULAR OFFICERS. THE THINKING BEHIND THE

LATEST DRAFT WAS THEREFORE TO SPELL OUT IN FULL THE

PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES THAT WOULD BE ENJOYED BY THE VISA OFFICE WITHOUT THE NEED TO MENTION THE WORD CONSULAR''.

3. IN PARAGRAPHS 3 AND 5 THE CHINESE HAVE DRAWN ON WHAT THEY

CONSIDER TO BE APPROPRIATE WORDING IN OTHER CONVENTIONS.

ACCORDING TO OUR UNDERSTANDING THESE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

PARAGRAPH 3. THE VIENNA CONVENTION ON CONSULR RELATIONS, ARTICLE

35

PARAGRAPH 5: THE VIENNA CONVENTION ON CONSULAR RELATIONS ARTICLE

43.

IN PARAGRAPH 4 THEY HAVE INSERTED THE LANGUAGE FROM ARTICLE 6 OF

THE DRAFT UK/PRC CONSULAR AGREEMENT

J

4. GALSWORTHY SAID THAT WE WOULD STUDY THE NEW CHINESE DRAFT

BUT THAT HE PERSONALLY THOUGHT THAT THERE COULD BE SOME DIFFICULTY

OVER PARAGRAPH 3, SINCE IT SPECIFIED ''DIPLOMATIC COURIER AND

BAG, AND ALSO REFERRED TO OTHER MEANS OF COMMUNICATION BESIDES

COURIERS. ON PARAGAPH 7 OF THE DRAFT GALSWORTHY CONFIRMED THAT

WE COULD ACCEPT THE TERM 'INSPECTION' IN THE TEXT.

CONFIDENTIAL

see @,0.10

12, 13.16

15.

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