TNAG-1348-FCO40-1789-Visas-and-transit-arrangements-for-Chinese-nationals-visitin-1984 — Page 39

•HKK 345/4

RECEIVED IN MILANL

2

/GR 660

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING 10060OZ FEB 84

TO ROUTINE FCO

CONFIDENTIAL

TELEGRAM NUMBER 215 OF 10 FEBRUARY

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG

0

R+R

chothe

OUR TELNO : TRANSIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR PRC NATIONALS THROUGE ende att prenos por cento

HONG KONG

74:

1. H OF C WAS SUMMONED ON 9 FEBRUARY BY SONG YOUMING OF

CONSULAR DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS THIS SUBJECT.

pps. Ithornead Ak's

2. SONG SAID THAT THE ONLY OUTSTANDING DIFFICULTY IN THE DRAFT AGREEMENT WAS ON PARAGRAPH 3 AND CONCERNED CHINESE LIABILITY TO RECEIVE BACK INTO CHINA HOLDERS OF CHINESE PASSPORTS AND CHINESE CERTIFICATES OF IDENTITY WHO WERE NOT NORMALLY RESIDENT IN CHINA, BUT WHO OVERSTAYED IN HONG KONG EITHER BECAUSE THEY DID NOT WISH TO OR COULD NOT RETURN TO THE IG COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE. SONG CLAIMED THAT THE CHINESE HAD ALREADY MADE TWO CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS. HE NOW WISHED TO MAKE A THIRD, WHICH WAS THAT A FURTHER SENTENCE SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE DRAFT WHICH HE HAD GIVEN TO GALSWORTHY ON 12 OCTOBER (OUR TELNO 1017). THE EXTRA SENTENCE, WHICH WOULD BE ADDED AFTER THE WORDS '' '...TO TAKE UP RESIDENCE, WHO STAY OVER THE GIVEN TIME IN HONG KONG. READS AS FOR CHINESE CITIZENS RESIDING OUTSIDE CHINA WHO ARE HOLDERS OF ORDINARY CHINESE PASS- PORTS OR TRAVEL PERMITS IN TRANSIT THROUGH HONG KONG, THEY WILL, IN PRINCIPLE, BE ACCEPTED BY THE CHINESE SIDE, SUBJECT TO

VERIFICATION OF THE FACT THAT THEY REALLY ARE UNABLE TO RETURN

TO THE COUNTRY OF THEIR RESIDENCE AND ARE WILLING TO RETURN

TO THE MAINLAND OF CHINA FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT.''

3. GALSWORTHY SAID THAT OUR VIEW WAS THAT THE FIRST SENTENCE OF

PARAGRAPH 3 ALREADY DEALT WITH HOLDERS OF ORDINARY CHINESE

PASSPORTS WHETHER RESIDENT IN CHINA OR ELSEWHERE. SONG CONTESTED

THIS, MAINTAINING THAT THE SENTENCE REFERRED ONLY TO THOSE RESIDENT

IN CHINA. THERE FOLLOWED A WRANGLE ON NOW FAMILIAR LINES.

4. GALSWORTHY THEN SAID THAT PUTTING THAT CONSIDERATION ASIDE, THE CHINESE PROPOSAL DID REPRESENT A STEP FORWARD: THE DRAWBACK

WAS THAT IT MADE NO PROVISION FOR PERSONS RESIDENT IN THIRD COUNTRIES WHO COULD NOT RETURN TO THEIR COUNTRIES OF RESIDENCE AND DID NOT WISH TO RETURN TO CHINA, IN PARTICULAR THOSE WHO WISHED TO STAY IN HONG KONG. ONCE THE PERSONS CONCERNED KNEW THAT THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES HAD NO MEANS OF DEPORTING THEM IF THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE UNWILLING TO GO TO MAINLAND CHINA, THEY WERE LIKELY TO EXPLOIT THIS. HE AGREED HOWEVER TO REPORT

THE FORMULA FOR CONSIDERATION.

see 3,5.0

CONFIDENTIAL

15. COMMENT