CONFIDENTIAL
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OF 29070OZ MAY 91
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INFO ROUTINE BUDPEST, WARSAW, PEKING
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INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG (PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR) HKD
HONG KONG TELNO 1390:
this.
HKD $26/12
'ECEIVED ON serisk ny
17 JUL 190
VISIT TO HONG KONG BY CZECHOSLOVAK DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER
1.
2818
PALOUS, FIRST DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER CALLED ME IN YESTERDAY (27 MAY) TO TALK ABOUT HIS VISIT TO HONG KONG. THERE WAS SOME GENERAL POLITICAL SPECULATION ON HIS PART ABOUT CHINA'S LIKELY INTENTIONS AFTER 1997, THE AIRPORT ETC. BUT THE PURPOSE OF THE CALL WAS TO SEEK OUR ADVICE ON TWO PRACTICAL POINTS.
2.
PALOUS SAID THAT THE FIRST WAS THE MODALITIES OF ESTABLISHING A CZECHOSLOVAK CONSULATE GENERAL IN HONG KONG. HE SAID THAT HIS GOVERNMENT'S ORIGINAL INTENTION WAS TO TRY TO OPEN AN HONORARY CONSULATE BUT THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES PERSUADED HIM THAT A PROPER CONSULATE GENERAL WOULD MORE ADEQUATELY MEET THE CASE. HE WONDERED HOW THEY SHOULD GO ABOUT THIS. TO THIS I REPLIED THAT THE OBVIOUS ROUTE WOULD BE FOR THE CZECHOSLOVAK EMBASSY IN LONDON
TO DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH HONG KONG DEPARTMENT AND PERHAPS SUBMIT A NOTE STATING THEIR WISHES. PALOUS AGREED TO DO THIS.
3.
THE SECOND QUESTION WAS THAT OF VISAS. PALOUS SAID THAT BEFORE HIS VISIT HIS SIDE HAD REGARDED A VISA FREE REGIME BETWEEN CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND HONG KONG TO BE OUT OF THE QUESTION BUT THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES HAD SOUGHT TO PERSUADE HIM THAT A METHOD COULD BE DEVISED WHEREBY SHORT STAY (IE A MAXIMUM OF 3 WEEKS) BUSINESSMEN AND TOURISTS COULD BE SEPARATED OUT FROM WOULD-BE IMMIGRANTS. HE ADDED THAT HE HAD BEEN TOLD THAT A SIMILAR REGIME EXISTED WITH OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND THERE HAD BEEN AN IMPLICATION THAT IF CZECHOSLOVAKIA DID NOT FOLLOW SUIT THEY WOULD NOT BE IN CONFORMITY WITH THE BEST PRACTICE. HE WAS PREPARED TO RECONSIDER THIS POINT, WISHING ON THE ONE HAND TO ENCOURAGE BUSINESSMEN AND TOURISTS BUT ON THE OTHER TO AVOID IMMIGRATION DIFFICULTIES. HE SAID HE WOULD WELCOME ADVICE ON WHICH COUNTRIES IN EUROPE FOLLOW THE PRACTICE ADVOCATED BY HONG KONG AND HOW THEY MANAGED TO DRAW THE NECESSARY DISTINCTIONS IN PRACTICE. I SAID I WOULD ENQUIRE AND GET BACK TO HIM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. GRATEFUL FOR INSTRUCTIONS.
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