TNAG-1029-FCO40-1279-Visits-by-FCO-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 67

GR 610

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY HONG KONG 0301002

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 25 OF 2/4

INFO FCO

KLJAVED 19:

3 APR 1981

INDEX

مر

SK OFFICER

PA

14 9.51

RY

NE Manon Taza

fick. All 141

FOR GOVERNOR

SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER:

2 APRIL:

HONG KONG TRANSIT VISAS.

1.

J

8

DURING DISCUSSION OF BILATERAL QUESTIONS, THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER SAID HE WISHED TO RAISE PROBLEMS CONCERNING PRIVATE PRC CITIZENS TRANSITING HONG KONG. HE RECEIVED A GOOD DEAL OF CORRESPONDENCE COMPLAINING ABOUT HONG KONG REGULATIONS, AND THE TREATMENT CHINESE CITIZENS SOMETIMES RECEIVED IN HONG KONG.

2. THERE WERE THREE ASPECTS OF THIS PROBLEM. FIRST, THE

FACT THAT CHINESE PASSPORT HOLDERS TRANSITING HONG KONG WERE ONLY ALLOWED, IN PRINCIPLE, TO STAY FOR 48 HOURS, ALTHOUGH IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO APPLY TO STAY FOR A FURTHER SEVEN DAYS. THE 48 HOUR PERIOD WAS REASONABLY SHORT. BY CONTRAST OVERSEAS CHINESE CITIZENS HOLDING PASSPORTS OF OTHER COUNTRIES WERE ALLOWED TO STAY IN HONG KONG INITIALLY FOR SEVEN DAYS ON PRESENTATION OF THEIR PASSPORTS AND WITHOUT COMPLETION OF VISA FORMALITIES. THIS AMOUNTED TO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PRIVATE PRC CITIZENS. ACCORDINGLY, HUANG ASKED THAT THEY BE GRANTED SEVEN DAYS INITIAL STAY WITH A POSSIBLE EXTENSION TO ONE MONTH IF THEY WERE UNABLE TO COMPLETE THEIR LEGITIMATE BUSINESS IN HONG KONG WITHIN SEVEN DAYS. IF SUCH CHINESE CITIZENS ATTEMPTED TO PROLONG THEIR STAY IN HONG KONG FOR MORE THAN A MONTH WITHOUT GOOD CAUSE, THEY COULD BE SENT BACK TO THE PRC PROVIDED THEY WERE CHINESE CITIZENS. THE PRC WOULD NOT REFUSE TO ACCEPT THEM BACK.

3. TO ILLUSTRATE HIS POINT HUANG HANDED OVER A COPY OF A LETTER RECENTLY RECEIVED FROM TWO CHINESE CITIZENS RESIDENT

IN THE PHILIPPINES (COPY BY BAG).

CONFIDENTIAL

14.

Bu one week

73.4.

14

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