300 A
RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
HKK3452
IPA
FROM VD 191845Z OCT 79
RECEIVED IN GEGISTRY NO. X1 2 2 OCT 1979
TO PRIORITY BANGKOK
DESK OFFICER INDEX
REGISTRY
PA
TELEGRAM NUMBER VISA 63 OF 19 OCTOBER
HONG KONG TRANSIT VISAS FOR TAIWANESE
1. WE HAD A DICUSSION ON THIS SUBJECT WITH CARTER OF THE HONG KONG IMMIGRATION SERVICE ON 15 OCTOBER. VARIOUS POINTS WERE RAISED (SEE PARAGRAPHS BELOW) WHICH HE WOULD BE GLAD TO DISCUSS IN MORE DETAIL WITH YOU ON HIS ARRIVAL IN BANGKOK NEXT MONDAY 22 OCTOBER.
2. CARTER CONFIRMED THAT HE REGARDS THE PROCESSING OF TAIWANESE TRANSIT VISA APPLICATIONS AS A RUBBER STAMP** OPERATION. WE ASSUME THAT THIS IS ALREADY YOUR APPROACH AND THAT ALL POSSIBLE DELAYS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ELIMINATED.
3. CARTER WAS AMENABLE TO THE IDEA THAT MORE COULD BE DONE TO ENCOURAGE TAIWANESE TO OBTAIN THEIR HONG KONG TRANSIT VISAS BEFORE BEGINNING THEIR JOURNEY. PRESUMABLY THIS COULD BE DONE BY CIRCULARISING THE TRAVEL AGENTS AND AIRLINES CONCERNED, ADVISING THEM OF THE DELAYS THAT COULD ARISE IF TRAVELLERS APPLIED IN BANGKOK, CARTER WOULD NOT OBJECT IF TRAVELLERS WERE AD- VISED THAT ALL APPLICATIONS WOULD HAVE TO BE REFERRED TO HONG KONG, AT THE THE TRAVELLER'S EXPENSE. WE FEEL THIS IS TOO DRASTIC AND WOULD GIVE RISE TO EVEN MORE COMPLAINTS FROM TAIWANESE.
4. WOULD CARTER BE WILLING TO CONSIDER ISSUING TRANSIT VISAS
ON ARRIVAL AT HONG KONG?
5. THERE MAY GOOD REASONS WHY NONE OF THESE SUGGESTIONS IS PRACTICABLE OR ADVISABLE. CARTER HAS RULED OUT THE POSSIBILITY, WHICH WE RAISED, OF DETACHING A MEMBER OF THE HONG KONG IMMIGRATION SERVICE FOR TEMPORARY DUTY IN BANGKOK DURING THE PEAK PERIODS TO KEEP UP WITH THE EXTRA VISA TRAFFIC. WE SHOULD THEREFORE BE GRATEFUL TO HAVE YOUR COMMENTS ON YOUR DISCUSSIONS WITH CARTER IN DUE COURSE.
CARRINGTON,
FILES
MVD.
FED HKGD,
RESTRICTED
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