TNAG-1349-FCO40-1790-Chinese-visa-office-in-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 26

GRS 300

RESTRICTED

RESTRICTED

FROM PEKING 04093OZ DEC 84

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 2885 OF 4/12/84

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG

ник 34911

RECEIVED IN AEGISTRY

- 5 DEC 1984

DESK OFFICE

INDEX

REGISTRY

lion Taken

82

جنة

R&R 349/1

Chinese noa

Atice

8

PEKING TEL NOS 2801-2

81

HONG KONG TEL NO 1338 AND YOUR TEL NO 1469: AGREEMENT AND CHINESE VISA OFFICE

CONSULAR

1. AS WE UNDERSTAND IT ACTION TO BRING THE VISA OFFICE AGREEMENT INTO FORCE WAS DELAYED BECAUSE:

(A) WE WISHED TO SEE EVIDENCE OF CHINESE WILLINGNESS TO PROVIDE ACCOMMODATION FOR THE CONSULATE GENERAL

IN SHANGHAI (HONG KONG TEL NO 2155 REFERS):

(B) WE THEREFORE AGREED WITH THE CHINESE THAT IT WOULD COME INTO FORCE AT THE SAME TIME AS THE CONSULAR AGREEMENT (PEKING TEL NO 1945 REFERS)

THE FORMER CONDITION HAS ALREADY BEEN MET. IN PRACTICE IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO MEET THE LATTER CONDITION ABSOLUTELY BECAUSE THE CONSULAR AGREEMENT WILL BR BROUGHT INTO FORCE BY AN

EXCHANGE OF NOTES/LETTERS AND NOT BY A SINGLE ACT. MOREOVER, WE SUSPECT THAT THE CHINESE, WITH THEIR PENCHANT FOR STRICT FORMALITY, WILL BE UNWILLING TO SEND NOTICE OF THE COMPLETION OF THEIR PROCEDURES ON THE CONSULAR AGREEMENT UNTIL WE CAN POINT TO A DATE WHEN THE VISA OFFICE ORDINANCE IS OR IS SHORTLY TO BE IN FORCE. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES WE BELIEVE THAT THE BESTRQAY TO TIE THESE TWO AGREEMENTS UP WITHOUT FURTHER UNNECESSARY DELAY IS THE PROCEDURE PROPOSED IN OUR TURS. (BEFORE SENDING ANY NOTIFCATION TO THE CHINESE OF COMPLETION OF THE TWO PROCEDURES WE WOULD OF COURSE SEEK AN ORAL COMMITMENT THAT THEY THEMSELVES WERE READY TO GIVE THEIR NOTIFICATION IMMEDIATELY ON RECEIVING OURS).

2. WE THEREFORE HOPE YOU AND HONG KONG CAN AGREE TO THE COURSE WE HAVE PROPOSED, SUBJECT TO ANY COMMENTS THAT NTD AND LEGAL ADVISERS MAY HAVE ON OUR DRAFT LETTER. IF YOU CAN AGREE, HONG KONG WILL NEED TO SET A DATE AROUND 19 DECEMBER FOR THE VISA OFFICE ORDINANCE TO TAKE EFFECT.

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]

EVANS

MINIMAL

NTD FED

HKO CONS.D. PROTOCOL D.

RESTRICTED

COPIES TO:

MR WHOMERSLEY, LEGAL ADVISED