CO129-604-6 Immigration- control over entry from China 1-1-1947 - 4-1-1950 — Page 226

FOREIGN OFFICE, S.W.1.

15th January, 1949.

241

1584/10) EST JCTED.

1

Dea

Lee

(15) on 248

In paragraph 3 of your letter No. 663 (110/1079/48) of the 11th November 1948 about the entry of Chinese into Hong Kong you suggested inter alia that it would be advantageous for the Colonial authorities to have all ready drawn up regulations enforceable at will insisting upon passports or other travel documents for Chinese seeking to enter the Colony.

You

2. These powers are already available to the Hong Kong authorities under Hong Kong Crdinance No. 32 of 1940, the provisions of which give complete control over entry into the Colony. will see from section (f) of the appendix to the enclosure in my letter F 14333/154/10 of the

See (10) on 1 48 16th October 1948 that the Ordinance does not exempt Chinese from the operation of any of its provisions. As things stand at the moment the difference between the entry of Chinese and the entry of other foreigners is one of practice not of law, and you will recall that the Ordinance has in fact been recently enforced against Chinese arriving from all countries other than China. It is there ready to be enforced at any moment, if desired, against Chinese coming from China.

Ar's ever

XP. D. Coates)

amb, Esq., C.M.G., O.B. E.,

Nénking.