TNAG-1281-FCO40-1632-Chinese-visa-office-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 28

GR 490

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING 140707Z DEC 83

CONFIDENTIAL

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1346 OF 14TH DEC 83

HKCK 3K H K K 349/+

RECEIVED IN REGA:

20 DEC 1983

DESK OFI

INDEX

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HELISTRY

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INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

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MIPT: CHINESE VISA OFFICE IN HONG KONG.

TEXT OF SPEAKING NOT ON THE ISSUING OF REPLACEMENT PASSPORTS WHICH WAS LEFT WITH THE CHINESE IS AS FOLLOWS. BEGINS:

1.

YOU WILL NOTICE THAT I HAVE LEFT A BLANK IN THE LAST PAPAGRAPH BUT ONE OF THE NOTE. THIS IS BECAUSE I WANTED FIRST TO

DISCUSS FURTHER WITH YOU THE GREAT DIFFICULTIES WHICH MAY ARISE IN HONG KONG FROM THE ISSUE OF REPLACEMENT PASSPORTS BY THE VISA OFFICE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT ALL VISITORS TO HONG KONG HAVE THEIR PASSPORTS STAMPED ON ARRIVAL WITH AN ENDORSEMENT

INDICATING HOW LONG THEY ARE ENTITLED TO REMAIN IN HONG KONG, AND THIS ENDORSEMENT IS CHECKED AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE. IF A PASSPORT IS PRESENTED AT DEPARTURE WHICH DOES NOT CONTAIN SUCH AN ENDORSEMENT CONFUSION WOULD RESULT AND ALMOST CERTAINLY INCONVENIENCE TO THE HOLDER OF THE DOCUMENT. THIS WOULD GIVE RISE TO INCIDENTS AT THE BORDER WHICH WE AND WE IMAGINE THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WISH TO AVOID. IN CASES WHERE THEY INVOLVED PROMINENL PEOPLE IT COULD BE VERY EMBARRASSING. THE CHINESE PROPOSAL WAS THAT PEOPLE PECEIVING REPLACEMENT PASSPORTS SHOULD THEMSELVES HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ARRANGING THEIR AFFAIRS WITH THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT SO THAT THE NECESSARY ENDORSEMENT WAS ADDED TO THE PASSPORT. UNFORTUNATLEY EXPERIENCE SHOWS THAT MANY PEOPLE WILL NOT DO THIS, OFTEN BECAUSE THEY DO NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM. I SHOULD THEREFORE LIKE TO PROPOSE AN AGREED ARRANGEMENT UNDER WHICH THE VISA OFFICE BEFORE ISSUING A PASSPORT SHOULD SEND IT TO THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT FOR THE APPROPRIATE ENDORSEMENT TO BE PUT ON IT. THE VISA OFFICE ALREADY SEND LAPGE NUMBERS OF TRAVEL DOCUMENTS EVERY DY TO THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT AND WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT WOULD BE DIFFICULT IN PRACTICE. IN THIS WAY WE CAN IN COOPERATION ENSURE THAT THE ISSUE OF REPLACEMENT PASSPORTS BY THE VISA OFFICE IN HONG KONG DID NOT CAUSE INDICENTS WHICH WOULD RESULT IN MISUNDERSTANDINGS. I HOPE THAT THE CHINESE

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