TNAG-1281-FCO40-1632-Chinese-visa-office-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 191

$.

CONFIDENTIAL

349/1

ра ник вве

GRS 340

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 2509OOZ

FROM PEKING 250805Z APR 83

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 40 OF 25/4/83

REPEATDED FOR INFO TO PRIORITY FCO

HICK 349/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

·R 1983

DESK C

་༢

INDEX

A

↑

REGISTRY

Action Taken

Ack

FCO TEL NO 386 TO YOU: CHINESE VISA OFFICE

1. AT THE NEGOTIATING SESSION THIS MORNING THE CHINESE SIDE, AS EXPECTED, INSISTED UPON A LINK

BETWEEN THE CONSULAR AGREEMENT AND THE QUESTION OF PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES FOR THE VISA OFFICE, AND INDEED ALSO

THE QUESTION OF THE AGREEMENT ON TRANSIT OF PRC CITIZENS THROUGH HONG KONG. AFTER AN INITIAL ATTEMPT TO INSIST THAT THE VISA OFFICE QUESTION SHOULD BE SOLVED THROUGH THE CONSULAR AGREEMENT ITSELF, THE CHINESE SIDE EVENTUALLY SAID THAT THEY WOULD ACCEPT A SEPARATE AGREEMENT, PROVIDED THAT IT WAS SIGNED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE CONSULAR

AGREEMENT.

2. WE REITERATED THAT WE SAW THE MATTERS AS ENTIRELY SEPARATE BUT AGREED THAT WE WOULD DISCUSS THE QUESTION OF THE VISA OFFICE FURTHER. WE PROPOSED THAT IN THE MEANTIME WE SHOULD SQUARE BRACKET THE CHINESE DRAFT OF ARTICLE 10 ALONGSIDE OUR OWN DRAFT, WHICH MAKES NO MENTION OF ORGANS DESPAT- CHED BY THE FOREIGN MINISTRIES.'' THE CHINESE WILL NOT ACTUALLY ABANDON THEIR OWN DRAFT UNTIL AGREEMENT IS REACHED ON THE VISA OFFICE SEPARATELY.

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CONFIDENTIAL

3. WE HAVE

16

Sex 17