CONFIDENTIAL
From:
A E Montgomery
Migration and Visa Department
Date:
17 July 1991
ca:
Mr Paul, HKD FED
Mr Daly
HONG KONG
1.
When I called this morning on
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RECEIVE
· (AUG '001
(Box 500) he raised the question of what would happen to the VWL during the transition period in the run-up to 1997.
I said we had not yet got so far down the road in pre-planning. The intention was to set up a major entry clearance operation within the new Consulate-General in Hong Kong but it was not yet clear when responsibility for issuing UK visas would pass from the Hong Kong Immigration Service to ourselves. There had been some exchanges suggesting that it would be desirable to get the new system up and running 2 or 3 years ahead of 1997 but nothing had been decided yet. For the present even the site of the new building had yet to be settled and I thought this would involve a hard and possibly protracted negotiation with the Chinese.
2. I explained that you are planning to visit Peking and Hong Kong probably in October and said you would be happy to discuss with our people in both posts and with the Hong Kong Immigration Service any points they would like you to raise.
seemed attracted by this idea. I suggest you touch base with him in September when your plans start firming up.
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