GR 350
CONFIDENTIAL
33
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 340750Z SEP 81
TO ROUTINE F C O
TELNO 560 OF 4 SEPTEMBER
RPTD INFO HONG KONG.
YOUR TELNO 388:
Hlele 3
344/167
HONG KONG TRANSIT VISAS ETC
MICK 345/4
RECEIVED ARMORY MD. 51 0 SEP1981
DESK OFFICER INDEX
PA
PASTRY
Action Taken
Pas blu
6.11.
1. HEAD OF CHANCERY TOOK ACTION ON 4 SEPTEMBER WITH NIE GONGCHENG OF CONSULAR DEPARTMENT (IN LIU QINGYOU'S ABSENCE) AND SPOKE AS
INSTRUCTED IN TUR, HANDING NIE A BOUT DE PAPIER PROPOSING THE
TRIAL PERIOD FOR THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS. COPIES FOLLOW BY BAG.
2. NIE SAID THAT THE BOUT DE PAPIER WAS A USEFUL STEP. HE WOULD
STUDY IT. HIS ONLY INITIAL COMMENT WAS THAT THE USE OF THE TERM "'WIDESPREAD ABUSE' IN PARAGRAPH 2(E) (2(11)(E) OF HONG KONG TELNO 468 TO YOU) WAS TOO STRONG.
3. ATKINSON ALSO SPOKE ALONG THE LINES OF HONG KONG TELNO 749 TO YOU. NIE REHEAASED THE FAMILIAR LITANY ON INHUMAN TRATEMENT AND DISCRIMINATION, ALTHOUGH WITH CONSIDERABLE MORE CIVILITY THAN LIU. ATKINSIN STRESSEDXJHAT WE WOULD ALWAYS BE READY TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS AND THAT THESE SHOULD BE NOTIFIED TO US PROMPTLY AFTER THE EVENT AND IN DETAIL. THEY SHOULD ALSO BE HANDLED AT WORKING LEVEL. NIE SEEMED TO TAKE THE FIRST POINT AND AGREED WITH THE LATTER. HE SIAD THAT HE THOUGHT A FEW IMMIGRATION OFFICERS IN HONG KONG MAY BE AT FAULT, BUT THAT THESE INCIDENTS DID NOT REFLECT BRITISH POLICY. ATKINSON AGREED, AND SAID THAT WITH SUCH GREATLY INCREASED NUMBERS OF TRAVELLERS BETWEEN CHINA AND HONG KONG THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME ERRORS E.G. BY INEXPERIENCED OFFICERS EXISTED.
4. NIE RAISED AGAIN THE REQUEST THAT THE EMBASSY SHOULD ISSUE VISAS TO RESIDENTS OF NORTH CHINA AND THE CTS SHOULD TRANSMIT VISA APPLICATIONS TO LOWU ON BEHALF OF SOUTHERN RESIDENTS. APPLICANTS FROM THE NORTH WOULD BE FAR FEWER THAN THOSE FROM THE SOUTH. HE SPOKE ALONG THE LINES THAT LIU HAD SPOKEN TO ATKINSON ON 5 AUGUST (OUR TELNO 529) ALTHOUGH NOT IN SUCH STRONG TERMS. ATKINSON REPEATED WHAT HE HAD SAID ON THAT OCCASION, BUT DID PROPOSE THAT THE EMBASSY MIGHT CIRCULATE TO POTENTIAL VISA APPLICANTS, PERHAPS VIA CTS, GUIDELINES ON VISA ELIGIBILITY WHICH MIGHT REDUCE THE NUMBERS WHO MAKE FRUITLESS TRIPS TO LCWU. WE WOULD DRAFT SUCH A PIECE OF PAPER, HE WARNED NIE HOWVERE THAT IT WOULD OFFER GUIDANCE WITHOUT COMMITMENT: VISA ISSUE HAD TO BE AT THE DISCRETION OF IMMIGRATION OFFICERS. WE WERE NOT IN A POSTION TO CONSIDER ANT CHANGES IN THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR VISA ISSUE.
CONFIDENTIAL
Action still uns chinase
Bu fiks noted Pas
/COMMENT
ви
7/10
Bu Inte
£9.10.
noted
seel See (35
160
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