TNAG-1281-FCO40-1632-Chinese-visa-office-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 27

CONFIDENTIAL

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(110)

PP PEKING

GRS189

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO 201655Z DEC 83

TO PRIORITY PEKING

TELEGRAM NUMBER 899 OF 20 DECEMBER

AND TO HONG KONG

YOUR TELNO 1344: CHINESE VISA OFFICE

1. PARA 1(7) OF DRAFT: WE ASKED YOU TO REPLACE

'INSPECTION' BY 'SEARCH'

8140 2

see C(87)

349/1

(cleared with

Mr Whomerley NTD, FED).

fo

(OUR TELNO 833) AT HONG KONG'S REQUEST (HONG KONG TELNO 1819 TO

FCO). WE OURSELVES MARGINALLY PREFER 'INSPECTION'

SINCE IT IS USED IN ARTICLE 50 OF THE VIENNA

CONVENTION ON CONSULAR RELATIONS.

(WE ARE NOT SURE WHY

HONG KONG COMMENTED THAT 'SEARCH' IS THE

STANDARD TERM. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO

BECOME A STICKING POINT WITH THE CHINESE, AND WOULD THEREFORE

PREFER TO REVER TO 'INSPECTION.'

GRATEFUL TO KNOW IF HONG KONG CAN AGREE TO THIS. ON THE LAST

SENTENCE IN YOUR PARA 2, WE HAVE CONSULTED LEGAL ADVISERS WHO

HAVE SAID THAT WE SHOULD AVOID DELIBERATE MIS-TRANSLATION.

ARE THEREFORE RELUCTANT TO HAVE 'JIANCHA'

IN THE CHINESE VERSION AND 'SEARCH' IN THE

ENGLISH VERSION, BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THE MEANING OF

'JIANCHA' IS CLOSE TO 'SEARCH,'

THE STANDARD TRANSLATION IS 'INSPECTION.'

WE

2. WE AGREE WITH SUGGESTION IN PARA 4 OF TUR THAT HONG KONG

SHOULD SPEAK TO THE VISA OFFICE ABOUT REPLACEMENT PASSPORTS.

ד

HOWE

DISTRIBUTION:·

LIMITED

HKD

FED

NTD

PROTOCOL

COPIES TO :-

*

MR WHOMERSLEY, LEGAL ADV

CONSULAR

PS/MR LUCE

PS/PUS

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD

LORD N GORDON LENNOX

НКК 34911

RECEIVED IN REGISTŻY

2 DEC 1933

PUCK OFF:

ISEK

а

*

CISTAY