TNAG-1097-FCO40-1347-Chinese-visa-office-in-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 159

BRIEF NO 8(e)

ESSENTIAL FACTS

CONFIDENTIAL

CHINESE VISA OFFICE IN HONG KONG

Function of Visa Office

1. Establishment of Visa Office in Hong Kong approved by Ministers in 1979, on understanding that it would only handle

visa work. Political and other contacts would continue to be

handled by New China News Agency. Chinese made clear that

no connection for their long-standing request for an official Chinese Representative in Hong Kong.

Privileges

2. Chinese have been told that Visa Office would enjoy the

following:

a) exemption from taxes on its revenue (eg from visa

fees;

b)

right to use cypher;

c)

exemption from taxes on salaries and emoluments of

China-based officials and staff members;

d) courier service to be exempt from search;

e)

premises, documents and archives to be exempt from

search;

f)

China-based officials and their dependents not to be

liable to arrest or detention.

(a) to (c) can be granted unconditionally by administrative action; (d) to (f) can in practice be given although according to strict letter of law there could be circumstances in which, for example, courts might order arrest of member of Visa Office.

3.

Chinese subsequently dropped two of their original

demands:

(i)

exemption from search of private baggage of China- based staff; and

(ii) exemption from duty on goods for private use of Office staff.

CONFIDENTIAL

/However