TNAG-1097-FCO40-1347-Chinese-visa-office-in-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 142

CONFIDENTIAL

GRS 290

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 038700Z

FM HONG KONG 0306012 APR 81

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELEGRAM NUMBER 108 OF 3 APRIL

INFO PRIORITY FCO

FOR YOUDE.

20

YOUR TELNO 24: VISA OFFICE.

HICK 349h

KOLEIVES AN XEGISTRY NO. 51

0 8 APR 1901

DESKI INDEX

مثل

PA

80.4.

REGISTRY Action Taken

Aw 14/4

sex

YOUR SUGGESTION MIGHT BE POSSIBLE ALTHOUGH THE LAWYERS HAVE

DOUBTS WHICH WOULD NEED TO BE EXAMINED IN DETAIL. BUT IN ANY CASE,

I DO NOT LIKE IT BECAUSE:

(A) IT WOULD BE GIVING THE CHINESE A CONSULATE IN ALL BUT THE PRECISE NAME:

(B) THE NEXT STAGE WOULD BE ARGUMENT ABOUT INCLUDING THE OFFICE IN THE CONSULAR LIST, CONSULAR IDENTITY CARDS, CC PLATES ETC. WE WOULD HAVE NOTHING TO FALL BACK ON TO COUNTER SUCH SUGGESTIONS:

(C) WHETHER IT WAS THE CHINESE INTENTION OR NOT THE NET EFFECT OF SINGLING OUT THE VISA OFFICE FOR SPECIAL PRIVILEGES BY LEGISLATION

WOULD BE TO DOWNGRADE THE NCNA BY COMPARISON OR LEAD TO DEMANDS FOR SIMILAR PRIVILEGES FOR THEIR SENIOR OFFICIALS WHO ALSO HOLD

DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS.

2. OF COURSE IF WE DID WISH TO GRANT PRIVILEGES IN THE WAY YOU SUGGEST IT WOULD INVOLVE CONSULTING EXCO. FOR THE REASONS ABOVE I THINK THEY WOULD BE AGAINST IT.

3. I FEAR. IT WOULD NOT DO TO FLOAT THE IDEA TENTATIVELY. MY GUESS IS THE CHINESE WOULD JUMP AT IT AND WE WOULD THEN BE HOOKED.

4. ON REFLECTION I THINK WE COULD HOWEVER GO ALONG WITH THE ORIGINAL

PEKING SUGGESTION OF AN UNDERTAKING ABOUT ''NORMALLY** AGREEING TO THE PRESENCE OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE IF THE PREMISES HAVE

TO BE SEARCHED (PARA 4 OF PEKING TEL NO 231). THE LIKELIHOOD OF SEARCH IS SO REMOTE THAT WE COULD GIVE AWAY THIS POINT IF IT HELPS

TO REACH AGREEMENT. PLEASE THEREFORE DISREGARD PARA 2 OF MY TEL 373

TO THE FCO.

5. YOUR SUGGESTION WOULD BE THE WAY WE WOULD HANDLE ARRANGEMENTS FOR A CHINESE SPECIAL REPRESENTATION OR OTHER REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE NOT DESCRIBED AS A CONSULATE OR CONSULATE GENERAL. BUT THIS IS ONLY WORTH CONSIDERING AS PART OF A WIDER PACKAGE CONTAINING SOMETHING SUBSTANTIAL TO OFFSET THE SHOCK TO CONFIDENCE AND SPECULATION THAT A CHANGE IN CHINESE REPRESENTATIVE ARRANGEMENTS WOULD PRODUCE.

MACLEHOSE

LIMITED

HK & GD

FED

P & CD

M & VD LEGAL ADVS. MR DONALD

[NOT ADVANCED]

CONFIDENTIAL

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