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PROCEDURES. IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE, IF A VISA FUNCTION WAS GRANTED, FOR THE SAME OFFICE TO ISSUE PAPERS TO VIETNAMESE RETURNING. BUT INTERVIEWS WERE A DIFFERENT MATTER. THERE WERE REQUIREMENTS IN VIETNAMESE LAW. HE DREW A PARALLEL WITH THE U.S.: THE VIETNAMESE ALLOWED THE U.S. TO SEND OFFICIALS TO VIETNAM REGULARLY TO INTERVIEW PEOPLE FOR THE ODP SCHEME BECAUSE U.S. LAW REQUIRED AN INTERVIEW.
13. EHRMAN SAID THAT OUR KEY OBJECTIVE WAS TO SIMPLIFY PROCEDURES AND SPEED UP PROCESSING. HE SUGGESTED THAT THE NECESSARY WORK WOULD BE DONE MORE EFFICIENTLY BY PEOPLE BASED IN HONG KONG. IF THE VIETNAMESE WISHED TO ADD SOMEONE TO THEIR REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE FOR THE PURPOSE WE COULD CONSIDER THIS. THE U.S. CASE WAS DIFFERENT: THEY HAD NO OFFICE IN VIETNAM. IN HOG KONG, FOR INSTANCE, PEOPLE WERE INTERVIEWED BY OFFICERS BASED AT THE U.S. CONSULATE HERE.
14. LE THO WAS UNWILLING TO CONCEDE THE POINT ABOUT INTERVIEWS BUT SAID HE WOULD REPORT. THERE COULD BE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS IN
HANOI. HE SUGGESTED THAT IF WE PERMITTED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CONSULATE-GENERAL IN HONG KONG THEN, AS IT WOULD HAVE COMPREHENSIVE FUNCTIONS, VISITS TO INTERVIEW MIGHT NOT BE NECESSARY. EHRMAN SAID THAT CONSULAR RELATIONS WERE MORE COMPLEX AND WOULD NEED TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN OUR RELATIONS. HE SAID THAT WE LOOKED FORWARD TO
HEARING VIETNAMESE VIEWS ON THE VARIOUS POINTS WE HAD RAISED ONCE
THE DELEGATION HAD RETURNED AND DISCUSSED THEM WITH THEIR
COLLEAGUES.
COMMENT
15. LE THO WAS OBVIOUSLY CONTENT. HE HEARD FROM US ALMOST ALL HE HAD WANTED TO HEAR AND, WE IMAGINE, CERTAINLY ALL THAT HE HAD REALISTICALLY EXPECTED TO HEAR. THERE IS NO PRACTICAL REASON FOR
THE VIETNAMESE TO HOLD ON THE INTERVIEW POINT IF WE ALLOW THEM TO
INCREASE STAFF AT THE REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE: IT SEEMS TO BE A MATTER OF 'PRINCIPLE' WITH REFERENCE TO THE U.S. HOWEVER FOR US THE INCREASED EFFICIENCY AND SPEEDING UP OF THE VOLREP PROGRAMME
THAT STOPPING VISITS WOULD BRING IS AN IMPORTANT QUID PRO QUO.
16. PUBLICITY:
WE HAVE RECENTLY RECEIVED LETTERS FROM THE HONG KONG GENERAL
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND FROM LEGCO MEMBERS ON THE QUESTION OF RELATIONS WITH VIETNAM. MOSTLY THESE HAVE FOCUSED ON AIR
SERVICES. BUT MARTIN BARROW HAS NOW PUT DOWN A QUESTION FOR
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