TNAG-1429-FCO40-1912-Chinese-visa-office-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 21

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CONFIDENTIAL

TELELETTER

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Mr. Ehmay hof 24/6

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HKD.

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20:2816

FROM HEAD OF CHANCERY, PEKING

FILE REF: 349/3

6/0408.

Lesby

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276 essutially

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for the therm

25 JUNE 1985

a shot tele Celhand

arthing for his news?

FOLLOWING FOR A C GALSWORTHY ESQ CMG, HKD, FCO

COPIED TO J D 1 BOYD ESQ CMG, POLITICAL ADVISER, HONG KONG

13

HONG KONG TELNO 662: CHINESE VISA OFFICE IN HONG KONG

1. I WAS SUMMONED BY CHEN QIDAO, COUNSELLOR IN THE MEA'S CONSULAR DEPARTMENT, ON 19 JUNE.

Chen 2716

2. CHEN SAID THAT THE VISA OFFICE AGREEMENT COVERED PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES FOR OFFICIALS OF THE VISA OFFICE ONLY IN GENERAL TERMS. HE HAD THE FOLLOWING TO SAY ABOUT THE THREE ISSUES ALREADY RAISED WITH THE POLITICAL ADVISERS OFFICE (PARAGRAPH 1 OF HONG KONG TELNO 153):

(A) (DENTITY CARDS. VISA OFFICE STAFF WERE RESIDENT IN HONG KONG. THEY COULD CARRY THEIR PASSPORT BUT THIS WAS INCONVENIENT. PROBLEMS MIGHT OCCUR WITH THE POLICE. HE UNDERSTOOD THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR HKG TO ISSUE CONSULAR IDENTITY CARDS TO VISA OFFICE STAFF. HOWEVER, SURELY SOME KIND OF SPECIAL ID CARD COULD BE ISSUED? THE CHINESE WERE NOT ASKING FOR CONSULAR ID CARDS BUT FOR

CARDS AEPROBATE TO THE STATUS OF VISA OFFICE STAFF.

(B) VEHICLE LICENCE PLATES. VISA OFFICE VEHICLES CARRIED ORDINARY

LICENCE PLATES. THE POLICE COULD THUS NOT TELL THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN SUCH VEHICLES AND THOSE REGISTERED BY INDIVIDUALS OR

ORGANISATIONS WITHOUT ANY SORT OF SPECIAL STATUS, DIFFICULDIES MIGHT

ARISE IN THE FUTURE. THE CHINESE WERE NOT ASKING FOR DIPLOMATIC (SIC)

LICENCE PLATES BUT HOPED THAT HKG MIGHT ISSUE VISA OFFICE VEHICLES

WITH SPECIAL LICENCE PLATES, REFLECTING THE OFFICE'S STATUS.

(C) CONSULAR LIST. WE HAD AGREED THAT THE NAMES OF THE VISA

OFFICE DIRECTOR AND HIS DEPUTY COULD BE INCLUDED IN THE LIST.

HOWEVER, THERE WERE MANY OTHER OFFICIALS IN THE VISA OFFICE. IF THEIR NAMES WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE LIST, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT

FOR THEM TO GET IN TOUCH!! WITH OFFICIALS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.

3.

CHEN WAS AT PAINS THROUGHOUT TO STRESS THAT THE THREE ISSUES

UNDER DISCUSSION WERE NOT MAJOR PROBLEMS. THEY WERE UNCONNECTED

WITH ISSUES OF PRINCIPLE. BUT THEY RESULTED IN DIFFICULTIES FOR

VISA OFFICE STAFF IN THEIR DAILY LIVES. HE STRESSED THAT THE

CHINESE WERE NOT SEEKING ANY ADDITIONAL FORMAL PRIVILEGES AND

IMMUNITIES. THEY DID NOT WISH TO EXCEDE THE AGREEMENT. HOWEVER

**IN THE BASIC SPIRIT OF THE AGREEMENT, THE NECESSARY CONDITIONS

FOR VISA OFFICE STAFF TO CARRY OUT THEIR WORK SHOULD BE PROVIDED.

THE CHINESE WERE SEEKING THE BRITISH SIDE'S CONSIDERATION OF

THE PROBLEMS AND COOPERATION IN SOLVING THEM. HE STATED THAT BOTH

SIDES AGREED THAT THE VISA OFFICE WAS NOT A CONSULATE OR A

REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE OF THE PRC GOVERNMENT.

4.

IN RESPONSE, I SAID THAT THE AGREEMENT WAS FAIRLY FULL

AND SEEMED TO BE WORKING WELL. THE THREE ISSUES CHEN HAD RAISED

WERE POINTS OF DETAIL. I WAS UNABLE TO ADD TO OUR EARLIER

EXPLANATIONS. I NOTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WERE NOT NECESSARILY

ASKING FOR CONSULAR 10 CARDS OR VEHICLE LICENCE PLATES. I

UNDERTOOK TO REPORT AND RESPOND.

SIGNED: P A B THOMSON

NNNN

MKK 349/1

RECEIVED IN KEGISTRY

28 JUN 1985

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

IA