TNAG-1095-FCO40-1345-Visas-for-Chinese-nationals-visiting-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 66

WITH THE CHINESE MFA. GRATEFUL FOR INSTRUCTIONS.

MODALITIES OF VISA ISSUE

6. LIU THEN MADE A STRONG REQUEST THAT HONG KONG VISAS SHOULD BE ISSUED BY THIS EMBASSY. IF THE EMBASSY COULD NOT HANDLE ALL THE TRAFFIC, (AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE EXISTENCE OF ADMINISTRATIVE DIFFICULTIES, OF WHICH I REMINDED HIM), HE PROPOSED THIS EMBASSY SHOULD PROCESS VISA APPLICATIONS FOR RESIDENTS OF NORTH CHINA

WHILE THE CHINA TRAVEL SERVICE COULD DELIVER VISA APPLICATIONS TO

LO WU ON BEHALF OF SOUTHERN RESIDENTS. I MENTIONED THE DIFFIC-

ULTIES OF USING CTS, AND SAID THAT IN MOST CASES THE IMMIGRATION

OFFICERS NEEDED TO INTERVIEW APPLICANTS PERSONALLY.

7. LIU SAID IT WAS AN UNHEARD-OF SITUATION'' THAT AN EMBASSY

COULD NOT HANDLE VISA APPLICATIONS FOR A TERRITORY UNDER ITS

GOVERNMENT'S ADMINISTRATION. HE HAD PERSONALLY WITNESSED THE

DIFFICULTIES OF SOME CHINESE CITIZENS AT SHENZHEN WHO HAD BEEN

DENIED ENTRANCE AT LO WU (HE SAID SIMILAR DIFFICULTIES WOULD

APPLY TO THOSE TURNED BACK AT KAITAK). SPEAKING AS ON 28 MAY, HE

EXPLAINED THAT BEFORE CHINESE CITIZENS COULD GO TO THE HONG KONG

BORDER. THEY HAD TO CANCEL FOOD RATION ARRANGEMENTS, RESIDENCE PERMITS ETC. IF THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER HONG KONG, EVEN FOR PURPOSES OF TRANSIT, IT CAUSED THEM GREAT HARDSHIP. SOME OF

THEM FELF JUSTIFIED IN ASKING THE MEA IF THE PROFESSED FRIENSHIP

BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA WAS REAL OR NOT. LIU REFERRED TO THE

FACT THAT HUANG HUA HAD RAISED THIS MATTER WITH LORD CARRINGTON

AND REPEATED THAT IT WAS A MATTER OF IMPORTANCE. HE ALLEGED THAT

IT HAD BEEN ''HANDLED IN AN UNBELIEVABLY COMPLICATED WAY'' AND

ASKED THAT WE RECONSIDER OUR POSITION. HE ALLEGED THAT ONLY A

TRANSIT PROBLEM WAS INVOLVED, SINCE CHINA WOULD ACCEPT HER CITIZENS

BACK IF THEY DID NOT IN FACT CONTINUE ON THEIR JOURNEYS TO OTHER

COUNTRIES.

COMMENT

8. LIU MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE MFA GAVE THIS QUESTION AN IMPORTANT

POLITICAL DIMENSION. HE WOULD NOT HAVE SPOKEN AS HE DID HAD THE

MATTER NOT BEEN RVIEWED AT MINISTERIAL LEVEL IN THE MFA. 1 RECOMMEND THAT, AS THE NEXT STEP, WE IMPLEMENT FAIRLY SOON THE SUGGESTION IN PARAGRAPH 4 OF PEKING TELNO 390 OF 29 MAY. IT MAY ALSO BE DESIRABLE, FOR USE AS A FALL-BACK POSITION IF NEEDED, TO PEAK TO THE MFA ON THE LINES PROPOSED IN PARAGRAPH 2 (11) OF HONG KONG TELNO 468 TO FCO OF 2 MAY, IE GIVING THE CHINESE THE PROSPECT OF AN ARRANGEMENT MORE SATISFACTORY TO THEM IN THE LONGER TERM. IT WOULD ALSO BE USEFUL FOR US TO BE ABLE TO TELL THE CHINESE

- IF ONLY AS A PALLIATIVE WHICH WILL NOT SATISFY THEM THE PERCENTAGE OF WOULD-BE TRANSITEES WHO ARE DENIED ENTRY AT LOWU.

2

CONFIDENTAL

DISCRIMINATION