LIM 361/31
FCO
PP HONG KONG
GR 322
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 3126532 MAR 91
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 231 OF 31/3 INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
YOUR TELNO 1471 VISA OFFICE
1. HEAD OF CHANCERY SAW MRS XU ON 27 MARCH AND SPOKE AS INSTRUCTED. 2. MRS XU SAID THAT SHE NOW HAD A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE DIFFICULTIES, SHE ASKED US TO PRODUCE A NEW DRAFT MEMORANDUM TO EMBODY AN AGREEMENT AND SPOKE REPEATEDLY OF EXPEDITING THE MATTER. ATKINSON EXPLAINED THAT, BECAUSE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE ABOUT TEN DAYS BEFORE WE COULD PRODUCE A NEW DRAFT. MRS XU, WITH SOME RELUCTANCE, ACCEPTED THIS.
3.
ON THE PROPERTY TAX ISSUE MRS XU SAID THAT THE VISA OFFICE MIGHT NOT ALWAYS BE IN THE SAME PREMISES, AND THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT PROPERTY TAXES MIGHT BE CHARGED ON FUTURE PREMISES, IF THE VISA OFFICE WERE NOT EXEMPTED. SHE ALSO REITERATED THE CHINESE POSITION THAT THE VISA OFFICE, AS AN ORGAN OF THE MFA,
SHOULD BE EXEMPT FROM TAXES ON IMPORTE, PODS BUT ATKINSON
REITERATED THAT THESE WERE AT A VERY LOW LEVEL.
4. WE FEEL THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT THE CHIMESE MAY CONCEDE THE DISPUTED POINTS, IN ORDER TO EXPEDITE THE MATTER. BUT IT MIGHT HELP FURTHER TO SWEETEN THE PILL A LITTLE
RY GIVING SOME SORT OF ASSURANCE ON THE QUESTION OF IMMUNITY: FROM SEARCH, FURTHER TO THAT CONTAINED IN THE PRESENT DRAFT MAMORANDUM. COULD WE PERHAPS BE PREPARED TO OFFER IF NECESSARY TO GET AGREEMENT THAT IN THE EVENT OF A SEARCH OF THE PREMISES BEING NECESSARY, THIS SHOULD NORMALLY BE CONDUCTED ONLY AFTER CALLING FOR THE PRESENCE OF THE HEAD OF THE VISA OFFICE OR HIS REPRESENTATIVE.?
5.
MIFT CONTAINS A PROPOSED NEW DRAFT. WHICH IS A REVISION OF THAT HANDED TO THE CHINESE EMBASSY BY THE HEAD OF HKGD. GRATEFUL FOR AUTHORITY TO HAND A DRAFT ON THESE LINES TO THE MFA.
6. WE SHALL SHOW A COPY OF THESE TELEGRAMS TO THE PRIVATE SECRETARIES AND TO MCLAREN ON THEIR ARRIVAL.
CRADOCK
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