TNAG-0611-FCO40-759-Presence-of-Warsaw-Pact-countries-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 56

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1. I prefer EESD's formula for the key sentence in the draft letter to Dr Stoker (paragraph 2 of Mr David's minute). This has the advantage of abidaboclaim that visas for nationals of "many countries" have to be regarded as a special case. think it would be stretching things a little far to suggest that the Soviet bloc countries, plus Taiwan (if that counts as a country), amount to "many countries". 'At the same time, I have slightly amended EESD's preferred formula to reflect more fully the language used in Lord Goronwy-Roberts' letter of 24 June to Mr Richard Body MP - the last occasion on which we had to try to explain why Hong Kong does not normally grant visas to Eastern Europeans.

2. I do not think it is quite correct to say that the Soviet authorities are well aware of our reasons for not granting visas to their nationals (the third sentence from the end of Mr David's suggested oral line for use with Dr Stoker). On the last occasion on which the Soviet authorities complained about a failure to grant visas for three physicists to attend a conference in Hong Kong they were simply told that the issue of visas was a matter within the prerogative of the Governor of Hong Kong (Moscow telegram no 1 of 18 March to Hong Kong). Hong Kong later said that the Embassy could, if necessary, also make use of the "special case" argument (Hong Kong telegram no 1 of 19 March to Moscow). In order to meet this point and one or two other minor ones that have occurred to me, I suggest that the last four sentences of Mr David's suggested line should read as follows:-

"Hence the Hong Kong Government, with the British Government's support, operates a fairly restrictive policy towards visa applications from Eastern European nationals. The Soviet authorities have been told in the past that the issue of visas for Hong Kong is a matter within the Governor's prerogative and that Hong Kong is self-evidently a special case. Even so, the Soviet authorities test the policy on visas every now and again and I see Academician Brekhovskikh's letters in this light. I do not think that he will be surprised if he receives a bland reply to his enquiries".

25 July 1977

D.F. Multon

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DF Milton

Hong Kong & General Dept

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