TNAG-0781-FCO40-985-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 281

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CONFIDENTIAL

Private visits by officers serving as Heads of Diplomatic Missions will not be permitted save in very exceptional circumstances.

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Members of the armed services making a private visit to Taiwan should in no circumstances wear uniform there.

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It is essential that these rules be carefully observed. If any government department is in doubt about a particular project involving a possible visit to Taiwan, the project should be discussed at an early stage with Far Eastern Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Visits by Taiwanese to the UK

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9. There are no formal restrictions on ordinary persons from Taiwan visiting this country, other than those applicable to any foreigner. Applications for visas are treated in the normal way, but the visas are issued on declarations of identity (and not on passports issued by the Nationalist authorities).

10. Different criteria apply to applications by Nationalist Ministers and officials to visit the UK. There are obvious objections to such visits (the risk of embarrassment in our relations with Peking if there were publicity about the presence of such people in the UK, and the fact that British Government Departments and officials may have no contact with Ministers or officials representing territories which we do not recognise as States). It follows that no official invitations can be extended to Nationalist Ministers or officials to visit this country. Such people sometimes apply to visit this country of their own accord. It has been agreed with the Home Office that, in normal circumstances, we will grant visas for a private visit, subject to a warning to those concemed not to engage while here in any activity likely to cause embarrassment to HMG. Each case will however be reviewed on its merits and; if necessary, any other action which seems likely to minimise the risk of embarrassment will be taken. A passage for insertion in Chapter V of Volume 26 of Diplomatic Service Procedure has been prepared and will be issued shortly.

Attendance by Taiwanese at Official Receptions in the UK

or at British Official Receptions in Third Countries

11: (a) Nationalist Ministers and Officials.

The formal position is that representatives of territories which we do not recognise as States are not invited to official receptions. It follows that Nationalist Ministers and officials cannot be invited to any British official reception. There can be no exception to this rule..

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CONFIDENTIAL