CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1127
OF 180929Z AUGUST 93
CONFIDENTIAL
243/198
100
1993
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, WASHINGTON
"OISTRY
on Taken
6
162315
MDHIAN 2153
TOP COPY Q DIST?
ا
3
HONG KONG TELNOS 1340 AND 1344 AND YOUR TELNOS 759 AND 762:
HAN DONGFANG
1.
WE REGRET NOT HAVING COMMENTED EARLIER, BUT WE ENTIRELY AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE DAMAGING TO OUR INTERESTS TO BECOME DRAWN MORE CLOSELY THAN IS POLITICALLY UNAVOIDABLE INTO HAN'S BATTLE WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES. WE SHOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW ON WHAT BASIS HONG KONG ORIGINALLY DECIDED TO GRANT HIM A VISA TO ENTER HONG KONG (IE ON HIS WAY TO CHINA IN THE FIRST PLACE). DID THE SYSTEM FAIL, OR DID HE MISREPRESENT HIS INTENTIONS ?
2. HAVING DISCUSSED WITH ACTING POLITICAL ADVISER, HONG KONG, WHERE TO PUT THE EMPHASIS IN THE LINE IN PARA 2 OF YOUR SECOND TUR, COUNSELLOR SPOKE THIS AFTERNOON (18 AUGUST) TO WANG GUISHENG (DEPUTY DIRECTOR, MFA HKMAO). WE SAID THAT THE ACTING POLITICAL ADVISER WOULD BE DISCUSSING THIS SUBJECT IN MORE DETAIL WITH NCNA, BUT WE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TOTHE MFA AS WELL.
3.
WE POINTED OUT THAT ON HIS ARRIVAL AT LO WU ON 14 AUGUST, HAN HAD NO VALID VISA FOR HONG KONG BUT WAS CARRYING A VALID CHINESE PASSPORT. THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES' ACTION IN EXPELLING HIM, WITHOUT ANY PRIOR CONTACT WITH THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES, WAS NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NORMAL EXCELLENT CROSS-BORDER CO-OPERATION. NOR WAS IT IN ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW FOR ONE STATE TO EXPEL ITS NATIONALS TO ANOTHER TERRITORY FOR WHICH THEY HELD NO VISA. SUCH ACTIONS WERE NOT HELPFUL TO A GOOD ATMOSPHERE IN SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS.
4.
WE ADDED, ON A STRICTLY PERSONAL BASIS, THAT WE RECOGNISED THAT THIS WAS A POLITICALLY AWKWARD CASE FOR BOTH SIDES: WE HOPED THAT THE CHINESE COULD SOLVE IT IN THE WAY WE HAD SUGGESTED. THE NCNA/PA CHANNEL WAS PROBABLY BEST FOR SPECIFIC DISCUSSION.
COMMENT
5. WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO KEEP PEKING'S TEMPERATURE DOWN ON
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