BRITISH EMBASSY
CONFIDENTIAL
Mr Holry
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Mis Robins 0839
Your reference
M Murray Esq PUSD
Our reference
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FCO
Date
12 June 1990
Dear Mike,
COMMUNIST NATIONALS
1.
+
I should be grateful for advice on something which is no doubt worrying colleagues in a number of posts around the world. This is as follows. In view of the dramatic political changes which have been taking place in Eastern Europe for the past year or more is it not time for us to have some new guidance both for political and consular use on the question of what constitutes a Communist or 'Soviet bloc' national? More specifically, are we still required to provide information on the arrival and departure of members of Communist missions and to report any interesting conversations with Communist nationals? . And is it right that the Hong Kong immigration service still refer when it comes to visa regulations to 'Soviet bloc nationals'? It was my understanding that the 'Soviet bloc' no longer existed. If it does, what does it comprise please? I see that the Head of MVD, when he visited Hong Kong in mid May, was told that the HKIS was now inclined to 'to differentiate between Eastern Europe and other Communist countries' but instructions we received from HKG at the end of May about visas for foreign residents made it clear that 'Soviet bloc nationals' is still an accepted term. When I queried it my attention was drawn to Hong Kong visa regulations para 6.1.1 which lists Communist countries, and is dated December 1984.
2. I realise this is only part of a very complex issue and that it will take time for clear guidance to evolve. However some interim guidance would I think be helpful to many of us overseas. There is more than enough for us to do without us having to carry out tasks which are no longer relevant or applying criteria which are no longer applicable!
CC:
!
I Kelly Esq, FED, FCO
MVD, FCO
Hong Kong Department, FCO
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CONFIDENTIAL