CONFIDENTIAL
FM CARACAS
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB
400/1
RECEIVED IN BESTRY
تسلا
verch
177036
MDHIAN 8419
180
Harwell Hongkong
Hong Kong Dept.
for you
Тор сору
r
2
TOP COPY No zdz
think?
TO
IMMEDIATE FCO
15 MAR 1990
TELNO 42
DESK
OF 2218OOZ FEBRUARY 1980-
INDEX
AND TO IMMEDIATE ACTOR
a DIST ?
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
HONG KONG TELNO 3: ARRIVAL OF CHINESE IN VENEZUELA
1. WE ARE OF COURSE READY TO APPROACH THE VENEZUELAN AUTHORITIES TO SEEK THE INFORMATION REQUESTED IN PARA 2 OF TUR. BUT WE HAVE NOT HITHERTO CONTACTED THE VENEZUELANS ON THIS ISSUE, NOR HAVE THEY CONTACTED US. GRATEFUL FOR CONFIRMATION THAT THE FCO ARE CONTENT. ALSO WE SHOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW OF ANY CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO POINTS OF A LEGAL AND PROTOCOL NATURE RELEVANT TO THE POSSIBLE ARREST OF THE VENEZUELAN CONSUL IN HONG KONG.
2. WE SHALL NOTIFY HONG KONG IF WE LEARN OF VENEZUELAN INTENTIONS TO RETURN HONG KONG RESIDENTS TO HONG KONG, AND WILL ASSIST WITHIN OUR MEANS. WE WILL NOT (NOT) ISSUE TRANSIT VISAS TO CHINESE NATIONALS WHO MAY BE EXPELLED BY THE VENEZUELANS AS A RESULT OF THE CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION, BUT WILL INSTEAD ISSUE 'IN DIRECT TRANSIT' VISAS AS SUGGESTED IN LAST SENTENCE OF TUR. HOWEVER, THERE ARE NUMEROUS CHINESE LEGITIMATELY RESIDENT IN VENEZULA, AND WE OFTEN ISSUE 7 DAY 'IN TRANSIT' VISAS FOR HONG KONG EG FOR THE RECENT CHINESE NEW YEAR. WE WILL SEEK TO DIFFERENTIATE THESE TRAVELLERS FROM THE DOUBTFUL ONES.
J
3. ACTION BY EITHER OURSELVES OR THE VENEZUELANS IS LIKELY TO BE COMPLICATED BY THE IMPENDING CARNAVAL HOLIDAY. 26 AND 27 FEBRUARY ARE PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, AND THE REMAINDER OF NEXT WEEK IS UNLIKELY TO BE PRODUCTIVE.
4. SEE MIFT (NOT TO ALL).
FITZHERBERT
YYYY
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CONFIDENTIAL