TNAG-1349-FCO40-1790-Chinese-visa-office-in-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 203

/ GRS 400

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FROM PEKING 05074OZ APR 84

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 653′ OF 5/4/84

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG

26

YOUR TEL NO 624 TO HONG KONG;

TOP COPY

ЖКК 34911

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

6 APR 1034

DISK OF

INDLY

CHINESE VISA OFFICE IN HONG KONG

29

see 31 (32)

1. HEAD OF CHANCERY CALLED ON LIN YONGPIN AT THE CONSULAR DEPARTMENT OF THE MFA ON 4 APRIL. HE EXPLAINED THAT YOU HAD EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT YOU COULD SIGN THE CONSULAR AGREEMENT DURING YOUR VISIT HERE. IF THAT WAS TO BE POSSIBLE NEGOTIATIONS OVER THE VISA OFFICE AND TRANSIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR PRC PASSPORT HOLDERS THROUGH HONG KONG WOULD HAVE TO BE COMPLETED BY THEN. ON THE LATTER GALSWORTHY SAID THAT WE COULD ACCEPT THE LATEST CHINESE PROPOSAL PROVIDED THERE WAS ALSO AGREEMENT ON THE VISA OFFICE. (HONG KONG TEL NO 488 TO FCO)

2.HE THEN PASSED TO LIN THE REVISED DRAFT, WHICH

WAS AS INSTRUCTED IN YOUR TUR. HE EXPLAINED THE VARIOUS AMEND-. MENTS TO LIN AND EMPHASISED THAT ALL WERE MINOR IN NATURE.

HE SAID THAT THEY SHOULD CAUSE NO DIFFICULTIES TO THE

CHINESE SIDE. LIN'S INITIAL REACTION, AND THAT OF HUANG ZHIRONG,

WHO WAS ALSO PRESENT AND WHO WAS INVOLVED IN NEGOTIATING THE CONSULAR AGREEMENET, WAS THAT THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES OF

SUBSTANCE BETWEEN US. THEY UNDERTOOK TO RESPOND EARLY NEXT WEEK AND AGREED THAT IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE FOR THE AGREE- MENTS TO BE COMPLETED IN TIME FOR YOUR VISIT.

3. WE SHALL RAISE THE MATTER WITH ASSISTANT MINISTER ZHOU NAN THIS EVENING IN ORDER TO KEEP UP THE MOMENTUM.

4. ON A POINT OF DETAIL, THE EXCHANGES ON THE VISA OFFICE AND THE MOVEMENT OF PRC NATIONALS THROUGH HONG KONG

ARE IN THE FORM OF THIRD PERSON NOTES AND PRESUMABLY DO NOT NEED SIGNATURE. BUT THERE SEEMS NO REASON WHY YOU SHOULD NOT FORMALLY EXCHANGE THEM WITH WU XUEQIAN AT THE SAME TIME AS SIGNING THE CONSULAR AGREEMENT.

CONFIDENTIAL

15.