TNAG-1281-FCO40-1632-Chinese-visa-office-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 91

GRS 550

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FROM PEKING 12032OZ AUG 23

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 790 OF 12/3/83

REPEATED FOR INFO TO ROUTINE HONG KONG

(69)

YOUR TEL NO 501:

HKK 349/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

1 5 AUG 1983

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

INDEX

PA

Action Tuk

CHINA VISA OFFICE IN HONG KONG

1. HEAD OF CHANCERY CALLED ON LIN YONGPIN OF THE MFA CONSULAR DEPARTMENT THIS MORNING TO PRESENT THE DRAFT UNDERSTANDING ON THE VISA OFFICE. (FOR CONVENIENCE, MIFT CONTAINS THE TEXT HANDED OVER. IT IS, OF COURSE, THAT CONTAINED IN YOUR TEL NO 435 WITH SUBSEQUENT ADMENDMENTS ).

2. GLASWORTHY CONFIRMED AGAIN TO LIN THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERN- MENT WAS WILLING TO PASS SPECIAL LEGISLATION TO GIVE PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES TO THE VISA OFFICE AS REQUESTED BY THE CHINESE. THE DRAFT MEMORANDUM WHICH THE CHINESE PASS TO US ON 17 MAY HAD BEEN EXAMINED CAREFULLY IN BOTH LONDON AND HONG KONG AND IT WAS OUR CONCLUSION THAT THE LANGUAGE AND CONTENT OF THE DRAFT DID NOT FULLY COVER THE NECESSARY MEASURES. WE HAD THEREFORE PREPARED A NEW DRAFT WHICH WAS INTENDED TO BE TAKEN TOGETHER WITH THE EARLIER MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING OF 23 SEPTEMBER 1981 WHICH WOULD REMAIN IN FORCE. IN OUR VIEW OUR DRAFT MET ALL THE CON- CRETE REQUESTS OF THE CHINESE SIDE REGARDING THE VISA OFFICE.

3. GALSWORTHY EXPLAINED THAT THERE WAS A CONDITION ON ONE OF THE POINTS IN THE DRAFT. WE EXPECTED THAT THE DEGREE OF INVIOLABIL- ITY BEING OFFERED IN PARA 2(3) OF THE CRAFT WOULD BE MATCHED BY A SIMILAR CLAUSE IN THE BILATERAL CONSULAR AGREEMENT. FINALLY GALSWORTHY REMINDED LIN THAT THE WHOLE AGREEMENT WAS CONDITIONAL ON THE CONCLUSION OF A SATISFACTORY BILATERAL CONSULAR AGREEMENT.

4. LIN SAID THE CHINESE WOULD CONSIDER THE DRAFT AND LET US KNOW QUICKLY THEIR THOUGHTS ON IT. HE ASKED HOW THE ENACTMENT OF LEGISLATION IN HONG KONG MIGHT AFFECT THE AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. GALSWORTHY EXPLAINED THAT BEFORE THE SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR THE VISA OFFICE COULD BE IMPLEMENTED IT WAS NECESSARY FOR THERE TO BE A LAW IN HONG KONG EMPOWERING THIS. HE SUGGESTED THAT THE UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES SHOULD COME INTO FORCE FROM THE TIME AT WHICH THE BRITISH SIDE GAVE ITS FORMAL REPLY TO THE CHINESE. THIS REPLY

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