CONFIDENTIAL
Низ
020/7
101042
MDHOAN 5120
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 41
OF 101035Z JANUARY 91
INFO PRIORITY HANOI, WASHINGTON, PEKING, UKREP BRUSSELS INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG
CORRECTED VERSION
YOUR TELNO 3793 (NOT TO ALL): HONG KONG'S RELATIONS WITH VIETNAM
1. THE PROPOSALS IN TUR BROADLY FOLLOW THE INCREMENTAL APPROACH WHICH WE FIRST SUGGESTED IN MARCH/APRIL 1990, AND SUPERSEDE THE IDEAS FLOATED AT THAT TIME (FCO TELNO 682 TO HONG KONG). WE NOTE HOWEVER THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SHIPPING LINK HAS BEEN DROPPED. IS THIS DELIBERATE OR SHOULD IT BE ADDED TO THE AGENDA?
TRADE PROMOTION
2. WE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO THE ACTIVE PROMOTION OF BILATERAL TRADE BETWEEN HONG KONG AND VIETNAM. WE BELIEVE THAT IN THE RIGHT CONDITIONS, THE VIETNAMESE ECONOMY COULD EXPAND RAPIDLY. BRITISH COMMERCIAL INTEREST IN VIETNAM IS GROWING AND WE WOULD HAVE NO OBJECTION TO ANY EARLY MOVE BY THE HONG KONG BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO POSITION ITSELF FOR THE FUTURE. VIETNAM COULD NOT FAIL TO BENEFIT FROM EXPOSURE TO HONG KONG'S ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS, AND THIS IS LIKELY EVENTUALLY TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS IN THE AREAS FROM WHICH MANY BOAT PEOPLE DEPART.
VISAS
3. IN RESPONSE TO CRITICISM HERE AND IN VIETNAM OF DELAYS IN ISSUING VISAS, AND IN RECOGNITION OF VIETNAM'S CONSTRUCTIVE ATTITUDE TO RESOLVING THE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM, WE STREAMLINED THE VISA ISSUING PROCESS IN JULY FOR VIETNAMESE VISITING THE UK. WE NOW AIM TO ISSUE VISAS IN TWO WORKING WEEKS FOR ALL OFFICIAL AND BUSINESS VISITORS AND IN PRACTICE CAN DO SO MORE QUICKLY IF NECESSARY. WE AGREE THAT YOU COULD TAKE ANALOGOUS STEPS AND CONCUR WITH YOUR PROPOSALS. WE HOPE THEY CAN BE PREPARED FOR DISCUSSION WITH LE THO AND HIS TEAM IF THEY VISIT THIS WEEK. WE WOULD HOWEVER BE GRATEFUL IF COPIES OF VISA APPLICATION FORMS COULD BE SENT TO MVD FOR INFORMATION. AIR SERVICES
4.
WE AND DTP ARE CONTENT WITH THE PROPOSAL IN PARA 14 OF TUR. BUT, GIVEN THE POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL COMPLEXITY OF THE
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