TNAG-1281-FCO40-1632-Chinese-visa-office-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 33

CONFIDENTIAL

OF ARRANGING A NEW ENDORSEMENT FROM IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT SIMPLY WOULD NOT WORK SINCE EXPERIENCE SHOWED THAT WHATEVER WAS SAID TO THEM, MANY APPLICANTS WOULD IN FACT NOT COMPLETE THE PROCEDURE. LIN REPLIED, WITHOUT ELABORATING, THAT HE THOUGHT OUR ARRANGEMENTS WAS TOO COMPLEX AND THAT IF PROBLEMS AROSE BECAUSE PEOPLE HAD NOT GONE THROUGH THE NECESSARY FORMALITIES WITH IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT AFTER RECEIVING A NEW PASSPORT THEN THAT WAS THEIR FAULT. IT WAS BAD LUCK HE SHOWED STRONG SUSPICION THAT WE WERE TRYING TO INSTITUTE SOME SORT OF MONITORING MECHANISM OVER THE PASSPORT ISSUING ACTIVITIES OF THE VISA OFFICE. GALSWORTHY WITHOUT BLUSHING ASSURED HIM THAT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE: BUT WE WERE DETERMINED TO DO EVERYTHING WE COULD TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ISSUE OF PASSPORTS BY THE VISA OFFICE DID NOT LEAD TO INCIDENTS. FINALLY LIN UNDERTOOK TO LOOK AT THTCMATTER AGAIN AND GALSWORTHY CEFT WITH HIM A COPY OF A SPEAKING NOTE SETTING OUT OUR VIEWS. MY SECOND IFT CONTAINS TEXT OF SPEAKING NOTE.

COMMENT

4. WE ARE, AS LIN HIMSELF COMMENTED, VERY CLOSE TO AGREEMENT. THE ONE REMAINING POINT OF REAL DIFFICULTY IS THE REPLACEMENT PASSPORTS. ON THIS THE ONLY WAY IN WHICH WE MAY GET AGREEMENT IS BY REMOVING THE SUSPICIONS OF CONSULAR DEPARTMENT THAT WE REALLY WISH TO EXERCISE SUPERVISION OVER THE VISA OFFICES ISSUE OF PASSPORTS WHICH OFFENDS THEIR NATIONAL SENSIBILITIES, AS WE SUSPECT IT WOULD OURS IF THE ROLES WERE REVERSED.

ON THIS IT WOULD BE HELPUL IF HONG KONG COULD SPEAK IMMEDIATELY TO THE VISA OFFICE ABOUT THE PRACTICALITIES. CONSULAR DEPARTMENT WILL NO DOUBT NOW ASK THEM FOR THEIR VIEWS. IF THE VISA OFFICE COULD BE PERSUADED THAT THE SORT OF AGREEMENT THAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS BASED ON PRAVTICAL CONSIDERATIONS WITHOUT IMPLICATIONS OF SUPERVISION AND THAT IT COULD BE IMPLEMENTEDSWITHOUT UNDUE DIFFICULTY AND THEN ADVISED CONSULAR DEPARTMENT IN THAT SENSE WE BELIEVE THERE IS A REASONABLE CHANCE OF BRINGING CONSULAR DEPARTMENT TO ACCEPT IT.

5. LIN UNDERTOOK TO STUDY ALL THE CHANGES PROPOSED BY US AND COME BACK TO US AT AN EARLY DATE. WE HOPE THIS WILL BE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

6. SEE BY TWO IFTS.

CRADOCK

LIMITED

HKD

FED

THIS TELECAM WAS NOT 'ADVANCED

COPIES TO:

MR HOMERSLEY

LEGAL ADVISERS

NTD

PROTOCOL D

CONS D PS/MR LUCE

PS/PUS

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD

LORD N GORDON LENNOX

CONFIDENTIAL