28 140
FOREIGN OFFICE, S.W.1.
5th September, 1949.
(F 12808/10111/10)
SECRET
• Dear Radford,
(22)
We spoke some days ago about Hong Kong telegram No. 869, concerning the control of immigration into the Colony, and I am now sending you our preliminary views.
We fully realise the difficulties with which the Governor is faced, and we have no wish to impede him. At the same time, there seem to be certain serious objections to the course proposed in his telegram under reference, and I think that you would wish to consider them. These difficulties arise in connexion with the requirement of a visa for non-British travellers entering the Colony. It is clear that people who come from communist- controlled China will not be bearers of passports issued by the National Government in the vast majority of cases, at any rate.
If a visa is
-
granted on a passport issued by the Chinese communist authorities, this will imply a certain degree of de facto recognition of the issuing authority. We have in the past refused to visa, for example, Israel passports on these grounds, and we still refuse to grant visas on passports issued by the North Korean Government. Especially in view of our policy towards the latter, it would seem undesirable to grant visas on passports issued by the Chinese Communist authorities. theoretically an alternative, that our consuls
R.E. Radford, Esq.,
Colonial Office..
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