TNAG-0910-FCO40-1120-Policy-on-visas-and-entry-certificates-in-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 56

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CONFIDENTIAL

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CONFIDENTIAL

FM Hong Kong 3004302 JULY 79

TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE Mo

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TELEGRAM NUMBER 1083 OF 30 JULY, 1979

INFO PRIORITY PEKING AND ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.

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YOUR TELNO 357: CHINESE VISA OFFICE IN HONG KONG.

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1. THE SECOND DIRECTOR OF THE NONA, LI JUSHENG TOLD THE POLITICAL

ADVISER TODAY THAT PEKING HAD HAD FURTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT THE NAME

OF A VISA ISSUING OFFICE IN HONG KONG, HE CLAIMED THAT THE TITLE

''HONG KONG VISA OFFICE OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS BUREAU OF GUANG-

DONG PROVINCE, WHICH HE HAD SUGGESTED AND WE HAD AGREED, HAD

BEEN A 'PERSONAL' SUGGESTION. PEKING THOUGHT HOWEVER THAT A LOCAL

PROVINCIAL ORGAN WAS NOT APPROPRIATE, SINCE THE OFFICE WOULD EXTEND THE VALIDITY OF PASSPORTS FOR CHINESE COMING FROM ELSEWHERE

AS WELL AS SIMPLY ISSUING VISAS. THEY PROPOSED EITHER: (1) THE HONG KONG VISA OFFICE OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN

AFFAIRS OF THE PRC (ZHOUNGHUA ETC. WAIJIAOBU ZHU XIANG-GANG QIAN ZHENG BANSHICHU) OR:

II) THE HONG KONG OFFICE OF THE CONSULAR DEPARTMENT OF THE MFA

OF THE PRC (ZHONGHUA ETC. WAIJIAOBU LINGSHISI ZHU XIANG- GANG BANSHICHU).

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2. LI SAID THE OFFICE WOULD BE STAFFED BY 10 15 PEOPLE. HE HOPED !

WE WOULD AGREE THAT THEY COULD USE DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS. HE WAS AT PAINS TO POINT OUT THAT THERE WAS NO CONNECTION BETWEEN THIS

SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE ARRANGMENT AND WHAT HAD BEEN SAID IN THE PAST, MOST RECENTLY BY HUANG HUA, ABOUT OFFICIAL REPRESENTATION IN HONG KONG. NORMAL BUSINESS WOULD CONTINUE, AS NOW, TO BE

CARRIED OUT BY NCNA,

3. DESPITE WHAT LI SAID THERE IS INEVITABLY SOME CONNECTION BETWEEN

THE TITLE USED FOR A VISA OFFICE AND MANOEUVRING TOWARDS OFFICIAL

REPRESENTATION. INDEED PEKING MAY WELL THINK THAT, IF AND WHEN THAT IS ACHIEVED, THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE SADDLED WITH BUILDING ON

A PROVINCIAL LEVEL ORGAN.

CONFIDENTIAL

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