(b)
requiring such travellers to secure prior entry permission through the steamship and aircraft companies was approved,
that there was no objection to his
proposal for controlling the entry of Chinese arriving from Nationalist areas but that he should notify us if it became necessary to introduce the second and third stages of control (vide paragraph 2 above).
4. As regards 3(a) above, although the Governor's intention was to institute the arrangement for entry control as soon as possible we have no definite information and introduction of the measure may have been put off since the expected influx has not materialised. There is in fact an efflux to North China.
5. As regards 3(b), the Governor first took action on the 24th October when in his telegram No.1127 to us, (passed also to Singapore Tamsui and other consular posts, but not Chungking), he stated that for the time being, in view of the influx from China and excessive strain on accommodation, no transit passengers for China could be accepted and no travellers from foreign countries for Hong Kong could be accepted without visa. In his further telegram No. 1176, the Governor made it clear that this applied to Chinese, who could however be granted visas without reference if their bona fides were satisfactory and if accommodation in Hong Kong was assured. Holders of British passports were excluded. From telegrams Nos. 194 and 195 from Tamsui to Foreign Office and from references in paragraph 14 of the Governor's telegram No. 1237, it appears that these temporary restrictions apply to Formosa and Hainan but not to Macao. In the case of Formosa there seem to be special reasons for imposing the restrictions inasmuch as large numbers come from there to Hong Kong but travellers in the reverse directionhave been subjected to control.
(30) (34)
(39)
(40)
(42) (43)
(41)
To far as
Chuna
6. It seems clear, in the absence of comments from the Governor (for which we have telegraphed), that Hong Kong have failed to appreciate the practical difficulties which these recent temporary restrictions involve both for the Chinese authorities in Formosa who now have to issue passports where none was required before and for the Consul who has to visa them. The request by the Chinese for a delay of one or two weeks in order to prepare passports and the request by the Consul for assistance obviously merit sympathetic consideration in the light of any views the Governor may express. will have to be explained to the Consul that these Bestrictions do not apply only to Formosa, that Macao has been excluded because of practical difficulties (he will appreciate that!) and that travellers from Communist areas cannot at present be required to produce passports and visas since we have not recognised the Communist Government. (We may however be able to tell him that the alternative system of control has been imposed.)
It
is concemed