CONFIDENTIAL
OR 400
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 011355Z AUG 79
TO IMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 616 OF 1 AUGUST
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
345/2
HKK345
TOR COM
T083139
نالد
No! PW B/8
12
YOUR TELNO 0183 AND PEKING TELNO 684 CHINESE VISA OFFICE IN
HONG KONG.
42
4+3
жерны
1. THE MAIN ARGUMENT IN FAVOUR OF ALLOWING THE CHINESE TO ESTABLISH A VISA OFFICE IN HONG KONG IS THAT IT WOULD MEET A PRACTICAL NEED AND THUS HELP TO UNDERMINE THE CHINESE CASE FOR OFFICIAL REPRESENTATION. HOWEVER, THE WAY IN WHICH THE CHINESE HAVE HANDLED THE QUESTION OF THE TITLE SUGGESTS LP'S DISCLAIMER HOTWITHSTANDING THAT THEIR CONCERN MAY BE AS MUCH WITH GAINING AN OFFICIAL FOOTHOLD IN HONG KONG AS WITH THE EFFICIENT DESPATCH! OF BUSINESS. WHAT THEY ARE NOW PROPOSING IS.A LONG WAY FROM YOUR ORIGINAL IDEA THAT VISAS MIGHT BE DEALT WITH DY THE CHINA TRAVEL
SERVICE.
sin
2. WE ARE NEVERTHELESS INCLINED TO SUPPORT YOUR RECOMMENDATION, IF ONLY FOR THE REASON GIVEN IN YOUR TELEGRAM NO 1084, BUT BEFORE
SUBMITTING TO MINISTERS WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COMMENTS
ON THE FOLLOWING POINTS:-
A) WOULD WE BE COMPROMISING OUR POSITION ON OFFICIAL REPRESENTATION
IF WE ALLOWED THE CHINESE TO ESTABLISH AN OFFICE WHICH, HOWEVER LIMITED IN SCOPE, WAS SUBORDINATE TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN PEKING? OR WOULD THERE BE ADVANTAGE IN SUCH A TITLE, IN TERMS OF CHINESE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT HONG KONG IS NOT, FOR PRACTICAL PURPOSES, PART OF CHINA?
3) HOW WOULD LOCAL OPINION REACT TO THE OPENING OF AN OFFICE WITH SUCH A NAMEPLATE? YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT SIR SY CHUNG RAISED . THIS SUBJECT WITH MR BALKER WHEN HE CALLED ON HIN ON 31 JULY, AND SAID THAT BOTH HE AND SIR Y K KAN HAD HAD RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE PROPOSAL IN THE FORM EARLIER AGREED BY E X CO.
CONFIDENTIAL
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