TNAG-1429-FCO40-1912-Chinese-visa-office-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 18

HOFO 004/13

TT F C O

TT PEKING

GRS 950

боле

JOH

Keg. Pl. Cary

to

*

des heels. MTD (in Glover)

HKCK 349lı

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

CONFIDENTIAL

INDEX

TELELETTER

DESK OF15CE

15

Prongor Dept (the3 Radice) Mi Konomerley

Thomerly Legal.

A.

ther Ashton FED.

19 JUL 1985

хуй

2

R&R, 349/1.

J.D.I. BOYD, PLITICAL ADVISER, HONG KONG

SCR 1/2071/79 PT. 5

FROM:-

FILE REF:-

DATED:-

12 JULY 1995

FOLLOWING FOR:-

A.C. GALSWORTHY ESQ., CMG HKD, FCO

COPIED TO:-

P.A.D. THOMSON, ESQ., BRITISH EMBASSY PEKING

14

THOMSON'S TL OF 25 JUNE: CHINESE VISA OFFICE IN HONG KONG.

1. DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED HAVE AGAIN LOOKED CAREFULLY AT THE POINTS

MADE BY THE CHINESE TO PETER THOMSON. WE BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD

STICK TO OUR EARLIER DECISIONS. MUCH OF WHAT CHEN SAID TO PETER

IS UNTENABLE. THE VISA OFFICE ORDINANCE HAS ALREADY PROVIDED THE

NECESSARY CONDITIONS FOR VISA OFFICE STAFF TO CARRY OUT THEIR WORK.

WE HAVE SEEN NO CONVINCING INDICATIONS THAT THE VISA OFFICE

STAFF - AND WE MEET THEM REGULARLY - HAVE ENCOUNTERED DIFFICULTIES

IN THEIR DAILY LIVES. NONA STAFF OPERATE WITHOUT VISIBLE PROBLEMS,

EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE NO (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) FORMAL STANDING

WHATSOEVER.

2. ON THE SPECIFIC POINTS RAISED BY CHEN, WE OFFER THE FOLLOWING:

(A) (1) IDENTITY CARDS. ISSUE OF A SPECIAL TYPE OF IDENTITY

CARD WOULD REQUIRE AMENDMENT TO THE REGISTRATION OF PERSONS

ORDINANCE AND REGULATIONS, AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE EFFORT INVOLVED

FOR SUCH A SMALL NUMBER (46 AT PRESENT) IS NOT WORTH THE CANDLE.

(BACKGROUND: THIS WAS CONSIDERED INTERNALLY AS LONG AGO AS 1981,

AND WAS REJECTED. THERE ARE NO NEW ARGUMENTS. FURTHERMORE, WERE

WE TO CONCEDE THE POINT FOR THE VISA OFFICE, NCNA MIGHT WELL MAKE

A SIMILAR REQUEST, FOLLOWED BY OTHER CATEGORIES OF CHINESE OFFICIALS.)

(11) THE CONSULAR IDENTITY CARD ITSELF DOES NOT ENTITLE THE HOLDER

TO ANY PRIVILEGES OR IMMUNITIES, ALTHOUGH IT IS AN INDICATION THAT HE MAY BE SO ENTITLED. MEMBERS DE THE CONSULAR CORPS,