TNAG-0515-FCO40-580-Restrictions-on-visits-of-nationals-from-Soviet-Bloc-to-Hong-1974 — Page 5

CONFIDENTIAL

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1

EMELIED IN

KEMISTRY No. 51

30 OCT 1974

HKK22/2

KB Dorman Esq BUCHAREST

Telephone 01-

Your reference

Our reference

Date

31 October 1974

ART

Dear Domman

HONG KONG/ROMANIA TRADE RELATIONS

1.

Thank you for your letter of 22 October. I have also taken the liberty of sending a copy to Alan Donald, the Political Adviser, Hong Kong.

2.

We are indeed getting into an odd situation over the activities of Sir Y K Kan and visitors from East Europe.

As you say, there seems on occasion some inconsistency between Circular '0' 14/74 and the actions of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. But the circular reflects the Hong Kong Government's own policy and Sir Y K Kan is a member of that Government in his capacity as a member of Executive Council.

3.

While it has been argued, not least by the Romanians themselves, that they are in something of a special position because of their detachment from the Soviet Union, nevertheless in the present context their claim to purity is, as you know, doubtful. Although, therefore, Hong Kong might be able, because of the relative absence of an anti-Chinese dimension, to take a somewhat more relaxed position on Romanian than on Soviet visitors to Hong Kong, this relaxation is not likely to be substantial. Moreover, the Hong Kong Government place firm limits, for security reasons, on the number of Communist visitors of any complexion. Sir Y K Kan knows this very well and presumably subscribes to the policy.

4.

He and Mr Mikardo, who, as you suggest, is a paid link-man for the Trade Development Council in East Europe, have tried to resolve this dilemma by suggesting to our Private Office that delays and obstruction in issuing visas for their East European contacts may originate in London rather than in Hong Kong. This, as you know, is very far from the truth. We will try again to put the facts before them during Sir Y K Kan's visit to London next month. But at the end of the day, it is up to the Hong Kong Government to resolve the dilemma. It is true that we go along with their restrictive policies, since we do not want Hong Kong to become a centre for Soviet espionage.

/But

SENTAT