TNAG-1349-FCO40-1790-Chinese-visa-office-in-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 249

GR 350

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING 160616Z JAN 34

TO ROUTINE FCO

CONFIDENTAL

TELEGRAM NUMBER 73 OF 15TH JAN 84

pa Chinese Visa

ра

Cance

2

My Walker

HKK 349/1

RECEIVED D...MEGISTRY

19 JAN 1984

DESK OF

INDEX

PA

INFO HONG KONG

D

MTPT: CONSULAR AGREEMENT.

1. AT THE END OF THE MEETING I SAID THAT I HOPED THAT NOW THAT BASIC AGREEMENT HAD BEEN REACHED ON A TEXT, THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD HAVE NO OBJECTION TO OUR STARTING PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SHANGHAI AUTHORITIES ON BRACTICAL DETAILS OF THE OPENING OF THE CONSULATE. WE ACCEPTED OF COURSE THE CONDITION THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAD LAID DOWN THAT AGREEMENT SHOULD FIRST BE REACHED ON THE QUESTION OF IMMUNITIES AND PRIVILEGES OF THE VISA OFFIC, AND TRANSIT ARRANGEMENTS THROUGH HONG KONG.

2.

HUANG REPLIED THAT IT WOULD NOT BE APPRORPIATE TO START PRACTICAL DISCUSSIONS UNTIL THE AGREEMENT HAD ACTUALLY BEEN SIGNED. HE ADDUCED A NUMBER OF WHOLLY UNCONVINCING REASONS FOR THIS.

| EXPRESSED SOME EXASPERATION. I SAID THAT WE WERE NOT ASKING THE CHINESE TO ABANDON ANY ELEMENT OF THEIR POSITION: ALL WE WERE ASKING WAS THAT SOME PRELIMINARY PRACTICAL WORK BE STARTED NOW IN ORDER TO SAVE TIME. OTHERWISE EVEN WHEN THE AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED WE SHOULD STILL FACE LONG DELAYS BEFORE WE COULD TAKE ANY PRACTICAL STEPS TO OPEN THE CONSULATE GENERAL. HUANG REMAINED ADAMANT. I SAID THAT MY AUTHORITIES WOULD FIND IT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND WHY PRACTICAL STEPS IN A SPIRIT

OF COOPERATION COULD NOT BE STARTED AT THIS STAGE. HUANG AGREED TO REPORT MY POINT OF VIEW.

3. HUANG SAID HOWEVER THAT THE BEST WAY OF MAKING QUICK PROGRESS WAS TO SEE THAT AGREEMENT WAS REACHED QUICKLY ON THE PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES OF THE VISA OFFICE AND THE QUESTION OF TRANSIT OF PRC NATIONALS THROUGH HONG KONG. I POINTED OUT THAT WE HAD BEEN WAITING FOR OVER A MONTH FOR CHINESE REPLIES ON BOTH

SUBJECTS. HE UNDERTOOK TO SPEED THIS UP.

CONFIDENTAL

14.

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