TNAG-1105-FCO40-1355-Detention-of-Hong-Kong-British-passport-holders-in-China-1981 — Page 19

った

RJT McLaren Esq

FED

FCO

CONFIDENTIAL

FEC400/2

9 MAR 1981

British Embassy

PEKING

25 February 1981

Swice

the Entrarry it vien

differ for Thore expremes.

by for wilson we

to conside carefully, conculty. Consuler dash.

mit wees

Head

Lu V/in

Mr Payl

R&R

12

12

Dear Robin

PROTECTION OF HONG KONG BRITISH SUBJECTS IN CHINA

and our

I am writing with reference to David Wilson's letter SCR/1167/55 XII of 3 February about

1.

policy on protection of Hong Kong British subjects in China.

2. First the case of

Consular Department have now responded to our Note. On 19 February they telephoned to say that they were consulting the Guangdong Provincial Authorities and that it would therefore be some weeks before they can let us have a definitive response. It looks therefore as if

status and our right to act on his behalf has been accepted. As you know from the enclosure to Miss Cham's letter, her Uncle was born in the Khmer Republic which would in any case have made it difficult for the Chinese to claim that he is a Chinese citizen.

3. On the question of policy, from a consular viewpoint we consider that irrespective of what documents Hong Kong citizens use to enter China if they are Hong Kong British passport holders they are entitled to protection.

The more favourable political climate in China and the fact that

status and our right to act on his behalf have not so far been brought into question, lends support to this view. Of course, our locus standi with the Chinese will be much stronger in cases where the passport holders have used their passports to enter China.

CONFIDENTIAL

/ 4.