TNAG-1281-FCO40-1632-Chinese-visa-office-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 194

14

ник

PA HAK 349/1

see (13)

CONFIDENTAL

GR 450

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING 22091OZ APR 83

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 363 OF 22 APRIL

AND RPTD INFO IQ IMMEDIATE HONG KONG.

13

MY TELNO 359: UK/CHINA CONSULAR AGREEMENT

HKK 34911 нки

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 51

23 APR 1983

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

AF 28/4

1. CONTRARY TO EXPECTATION, THIS SUBJECT CAME UP TODAY AT A LUNCH GIVEN BY H OF C FOR MIE GONGCHENG, HEAD OF CONSULAR DEPARTMENT, AUD THE NEGOTIATING TEAM. CONVERSATION WAS INFORMAL AND BOTH NIE

AND CALSWORTHY STRESSED THAT THEY WERE GIVING PERSONAL OPINIONS.

2. GALSWORTHY EXPLAINED AGAIN WHY IT WAS TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE TO

ATTEMPT TO MAKE PROVISION FOR THE CHINESE VISA OFFICE IN THIS

AGREEMENT. AFTER SOME PRESSURE NIE EVENTUALLY SAID THAT HE DID NOT

THINK THAT IT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHINESE SIDE TO HAVE AN

EXPLICIT REFERENCE TO HONG KONG IN THE AGREEMENT. HE THOUGHT THAT

IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES THE CHINESE SIDE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONSIDER A

SEPARATE AGREEMENT ON THE PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES OF THE VISA

OFFICE, BUT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SIGNED AT THE SAME TIME AS THE CONSULAR AGREEMENT. HE ALSO GAVE A STRONG HINT THAT THE CHINESE

SIDE WAS PATIENT, AND HAPPY TO WAIT FOR THE CONSULAR AGREEMENT

UNTIL SUCH TIME AS BOTH SIDES COULD MEET THE NEEDS OF THE OTHER.

3. GALSWORTHY SAID THAT HE COULD MAKE NO COMMITMENT ON OUR

ABILITY TO NEGOTIATE SUCH AN AGREEMENT, SINCE THE QUESTION OF

PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES FOR THE VISA OFFICE IN HONG KONG WAS A

DIFFICULT ONE FOR US. NEVERTHELESS WE WERE WILLING TO CONTINUE

DISCUSSING THE SUBJECT, HE CONFIRMED THAT THE ONLY WAY IN PRACTICE OF DEALING WITH IT, IF IT WERE POSSIBLE TO DEAL WITH IT AL ALL, WOULD BE BY AN AGREEMENT ENTIRELY SEPARATE FROM THE CONSULAR

AGREEMENT.

4. THESE WERE MERELY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT POINTS OUT OF A LONG AND

INVOLVED CONVERSATION WHICH FOR THE MOST PART TROD FAMILIAR

GROUND, BUT WE FEAR THAT IT IS CONFIRMATION THAT THE CHINESE DO

INTEND TO SET UP A LINK BETWEEN THE TWO QUESTIONS. WE THINK

THEREFORE THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD CONSIDER NOW

WHETHER THE IMPORTANCE WE ATTACH TO THIS AGREEMENT (WITHOUT WHICH

WE CANNOT POSSIBLY OPEN IN SHANGHAI) IS SUFFICIENT TO MAKE IT

NECESSARY TO ASK THE GOVERNOR TO CONSULT EXCO AGAIN IN THE HOPE

THAT THEY WILL RECONSIDER THEIR POSITION. (HONG KONG TELNO 244).

15. WE

CONFIDENTAL