С
''DISCRIMINATION'' AND ''INSULTS''
9. LIU SAID THAT CHINESE CITIZENS SHOULD NOT BE DISCRIMINATED
AGAINST NOR INSULTED, IN HONG KONG. WHEN I SAID THAT THEY WERE NOT SO TREATED, LIU SAID THAT THE MFA HAD RECEIVED A COMPLAINT
FORM AN OVERSEAS CHINESE RESIDENT IN THE PHILIPPINES WHO HAD
ARRIVED AT KAITAK FROM CHINA ON 15 APRIL. A HONG KONG IMMIG-
RATION OFFICER HAD ASKED THE TRAVELLER, WHOSE NAME LIU DID NOT DIVULGE, WHY HE DID NOT CHANGE HIS NATIONALITY, AND WHAT WAS THE
GOOD OF HOLDING A MAINLAND PASSPORT? LIU CLAIMED THAT THE
IMMIGRATION OFFICER HAD EVEN ASKED WHY THE TRAVELLER DID NOT
SWITCH TO A TAIWAN PASSPORT, THUS SUPPORTING THE ''TWO CHINAS’' THEORY. I SAID THE IMMIGRATION OFFICER MUST HAVE BEEN MISUNDER~ STOOD. IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO CHECK ON THIS INCIDENT, EVEN IF WE KNEW THE TRAVELLERS NAME. I DOUBTED THAT THE IMMIGRATION OFFICER
HAD SPOKEN AS REPORTED, BUT IF HE HAD, IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN UNDER INSTRUCTION FROM HE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. LIU SAID THAT
THE HONG KONG IMMIGRATION OFFICERS SHOULD DO NOTHING ''TO SPOIL
SINO-BRITISH FIENDSHIP*'.
10. LASTLY, LIU SHOWED ME A NOTE FROM THIS EMBASSY DATED 9 JUNE (COPY BY BAG) WITH WHICH SIX SPOILED PRC PASSPORTS HAD BEEN RETURNED TO THE MFA, HE SHOWED THE PASSPORTS, FOUR OF WHICH HAD HAD HOLES PUNCHED THROUGH THEM IN HONG KONG, WHILE TWO HAD BEEN CANCELLED THERE BY THE DRAWING OF RED LINES ACROSS SOME PAGES. (HK IMMIGRATION DEPT. LETTER OF 4 JUNE TO THIS EMBASSY REFERS. HOWEVER IT DOES NOT MENTION THAT THE PASSPORTS WERE MUTILATED). LIU SAID THAT SUCH TREATMENT OF PRC PASSPORTS WAS 'ECTREMELY DISRESPECTFUL** AND ASKED FOR AN UNDERTAKING THAT PRC PASSPORTS WOULD NOT BE DEFACED IN HONG KONG IN FUTURE. I UNDERTOOK TO REPORT HIS REMARKS, AND SAID THAT I THOUGHT THE PASSPORTS MUST HAVE BEEN CANCELLED IN ERROR.
ATKINSON
LIMITED
HRGD (4)
M V D
FED
PS/MR RIDLEY
PSIMA LUCE
PS/PUS
SIRA ACLAND
MR DONALD MR EVANS
3
THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT ADVANCED
CONFIDENTIAL
NR.
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