TNAG-1348-FCO40-1789-Visas-and-transit-arrangements-for-Chinese-nationals-visitin-1984 — Page 27

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DESKBY HONG KONG 13060OZ

FM PEKING 13040OZ APR 34

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 734 OF 13 APRIL

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

لله ا

YOUR TELNO 382: TRANSIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR PRC PASSPORT HOLDERS 1. WE HAVE PUT THE CHANGES SUGGESTED IN PARAGRAPHS 2 AND

3 OF TUR TO THE CONSULAR DEPARTMENT (SONG YOUMING). SONG SAID THAT HE DID NOT THINK THEY WOULD CAUSE MAJOP DIFFICULTY, EXCEPT FOR ONE POINT. IF THE EXCHANGE WAS TO BE BETWEEN THE MINISTRY AND THE EMBASSY RATHER THAN THE CONSULAR DEPARTMENT AND THE EMBASSY IT WAS NECESSARY FOR THE CONSULAR DEPARTMENT TO GO THROUGH A COMPLICATED BUREAUCRATIC PROCESS TO GET APPROVAL. HE WAS NOT SURE IF THERE WAS TIME TO DO SO. GALSWORTHY SAID THAT IF IN FACT IT PROVED IMPOSSIBLE ON THE CHINESE SIDE, WE COULD ACCEPT THAT THE EXCHANGE SHOULD BE BETWEEN THE CONSULAR DEPARTMENT OF THE MFA AND THE EMBASSY.

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CHINESE

2. AT THE END OF THE CONVERSATION SONG MADE A SPIRITED ATTEMPT TO INTRODUCE A CHANGE OF SUBSTANCE TO THE FIRST SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH 3. THERE HAS BEEN A LONGSTANDING DISPUTE ABOUT WHETHER THIS SENTENCE REFERRED ONLY TO CHINESE CITIZENS RESIDENT IN CHINA, OR TO ALL CHINESE CITIZENS, THE FORMER BEING THE CHINESE INTERPRETATION. SONG WISHED TO INSERT IN THIS SENTENCE THE WORDS ORIGINALLY RESIDENT IN CHINA AFTER CITIZENS' 11 HE ARGUED THAT NOW THAT THE FOLLOWING TWO SENTENCES DEALT CLEARLY WITH CHINESE RESIDENT OUTSIDE CHINA, IT WAS IN ANY CASE CLEAR THAT THE FIRST SENTENCE DEALT WITH CHINESE CITIZENS RESIDENT IN CHINA. THIS WAS THEREFORE NOT A CHANGE OF SUBSTANCE. GALSWORTHY REFUSED TO AGREE TO PUT FORWARD THE AMENDMENT ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT WAS FAR TOO LATE TO PROPOSE CHANGES OF SUBSTANCE, AND THAT IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO GET AGREEMENT TO THE PHRASE, WHICH HE DID NOT IN ANY CASE THINK WAS ACCEPTABLE, IN THE TIME AVAILABLE. SONG EVENTUALLY AGREED TO RECONSIDER IT.

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