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in New Delhi had said that the transit visas would need Dr Wilson confirmed that to be approved in Hong Kong. there would be no difficulty in giving authority for this. Mr Li explained that the party would be joined by one person already in Hong Kong, who had come from the USA. It had not yet been decided if the group would stay in the NCNA guest house or in a hotel or whether they would wear Tibetan or western clothing. No publicity was being given
Dr Wilson said that we to the group's visit to China.
would make sure that no publicity was given to their presence in Hong Kong.
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Visa Issuing Office in Hong Kong
4.
2.
Mr Li referred to his earlier conversation with Dr Wilson and to the agreement that a visa issuing office could be opened in Hong Kong. The authorities in Peking had now exprssed the view that it would "not be convenient" for the visa issuing office to come under the authorities in Guangdong province, since the question of travel to China was a national rather than a local policy matter and the office would be dealing with extending passports as well as simply issuing visas. Peking had now suggested that the office might be either called the 'Hong Kong visa issuing office of the MFA of the PRC' or 'Hong Kong office of the It would be consular department of the MFA of the PRC'. necessary for people from the MFA to come to Hong Kong to staff the office. He hoped that these people would be given diplomatic immunity. Numbers would be quite small - about 10 to 15 people. They could probably use the old
The work of the office, Sharp Street or the NCNA building. whatever it was called, would be purely concerned with issuing visas. All other issues would be dealt with by the NCNA. There was no connection between this new suggestion and previous proposals, most recently by Huang Hua, for official representtion.
5.
Dr Wilson said we had agreed to the previous title
We which we thought represented what the Chinese wanted. would now need time to consider this new suggestion.
cc
S for S D of I
Political Adviser's Office, Government Secretariat,
30 July, 1979.
DS B
Chancery, Peking
Hong Kong & General Dept, FCO Far Eastern Dept, FCO
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