TNAG-0420-FCO40-466-Registration-of-merchant-shipping-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 5

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CONFIDENTIAL

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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

3 January 1973

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OFFICIAL CONTACTS WITH TAIWAN

1. Following the withdrawal in 1949 of the Chinese Nationalists to Taiwan, Her Majesty's Government recognised the Chinese People's Government in January 1950 as the sole legal Government of China. We continued to maintain a Consulate on Taiwan; but it dealt only with the Taiwan Provincial Government and not the central Nationalist authorities in Taipei. Exequaturs for H M Consuls were not sought from the Nationalist authorities since this would have implied recognition. On 13 March 1972, HMG agreed to exchange Ambassadors with the People's Republic of China and undertook to withdraw the Consulate from Taiwan.

2.

The following instructions deal with the subjects of visits to Taiwan by Government servants, visits to the United Kingdom by Taiwanese,official invitations to Taiwanese visiting the United Kingdom and contacts with Nationalist officials whether in third countries or in the United Kingdom. Any enquiries about the interpretation of these instructions should be addressed to Far Eastern Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

HMG's attitude to Taiwan

3. HMG do not and never have regarded Taiwan as a State. HMG do not regard the Nationalist authorities in Taiwan as a Government and have not done so since 1950 when HMG ceased to recognise them as the Government of China.

4.

The official joint communique issued in London and Peking on 13 March 1972 on the agreement between HMG and the Government of the People's Republic of China to exchange Ambassadors contains the following statements;

"The Government of the United Kingdom, acknowledging the position of the Chinese Government that Taiwan is a province of the People's Republic of China, have decided to remove their official representation in Taiwan on 13 March,

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CONFIDENTIAL