CO129-604-6 Immigration- control over entry from China 1-1-1947 - 4-1-1950 — Page 88

INWARD TELEGRAM

This document must be paraphrased if the communication of its contents to any person outside Government Service is authorised.

Typex

PRIORITY

TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES

COPY FOR REGISTRATION FROM HONG KONG ( Sir A. Grantham)

D. 24th November, 1949 R. 24th

No. 1264 Secret

#

It

13.30 hrs.

Addressed S. of S. Repeated Tamsui No. 428.

Nanking No. 201.

(44)

Your telegram No. 1655 and Tamsui

(42) (43) telegrams Nos 194 and 195 to Foreign Office.

Immigration Control.

25

NOV

ΙΛ

C

48

1949

I

(47)

(34).

(35)

Position is that effective from November 11th British visas are required for all Foreign Nationals including Chinese. This applies to Taiwan and Hainan but but not (repeat not) at present to Chinese travellers from China mainland or from Macao although as regarus Macau see my telegram No. 1250 in which I have suggested applying restrictions on entry from Macao if shipping companies persist in attempting evade restrictions upon entry from Taiwan and Hainan by shipping passengers [from] Hong Kong to Macao.

for

2.

Re arrivals from communist areas arrangements described in my telegram No. 1010 have not yet been enforced since number of arrivals from those areas is not yet great enough to justify special measures of control.

have noted the approval given in your telegram No. 1333 so these arrangements and they will therefore be enforced as soon as situation necessitates any restriction.

3.

Re Tamsui telegrams to Foreign Office

(42) (43) Nos. 194 and 195 I regret difficulties in which Consul

(42)

has been placed but as you are aware these measures of control are necessitated solely by the immediate need for restricting immigration into the Colony in view of serious overcrowding which already exists here and imperative need for preserving internal security situation. Hong Kong cannot stand any more influx on significant scale and as Consul especially will be aware Taiwan has very large numbers of refugees from mainland who will probably want to move on soon at all costs. Hong Kong will be their obvious objective and that must (repeat must) be stopped. In these circumstances it is not (repeat not) desirable that any special facilities (which would be provided by additional staff) for issue of visas should be provided. It is fully appreciated here that Consul can only handle certain limited number of applications each day and that it is entirely satisfactory. It is probable that the "many Hong Kong residents" mentioned in aragraph 4 of Tamsui telegram No. 10: 10 Foreign Office are not in fact true residents. I may

rhaps mention that restrictions on entry

/of