TNAG-1429-FCO40-1912-Chinese-visa-office-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 9

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

1. I TOOK ACTION THIS MORNING WITH CHEN QIDAO (CONSULAR DEPARTMENT, MFA). CHEN MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

(A) IDENTITY CARDS. HE NOTED THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN OUR POSITION

AND REHEARSED THE ARGUMENTS IN PARAGRAPH 2(A) OF MY TELELETTER OF

25 JUNE TO GALSWORTHY (HKD). HE NOTED THAT AMENDMENT TO HONG KONG

LEGISLATION WOULD BE REQUIRED IF SPECIAL ID CARDS WERE TO BE ISSUED

BUT DOUBTED THAT THIS WOULD BE A COMPLEX UNDERTAKING. HE WAS

UNIMPRESSED BY THE ARGUMENTS IN THE SECOND SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH

2(11) OF BOYD'S (HONG KONG) TELELETTER OF 12 JULY TO GALSWORTH (HKD),

(B) VEHICLE LICENCE PLATES. HE NOTED CAREFULLY THAT THERE WAS

NOTHING TO STOP THE VISA OFFICE ATTACHING STICKERS TO THEIR VEHICLES

TO IDENDIFY TO WHOM THEY BELONGED. HE ASKED A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS

ABOUT CURRENT PRACTICE WITH VEHICLE LICENCE PLATES AND STICKERS/

IDENTIFICATION PLATES TO WHICH I RESPONDED FACTUALLY.

(C) CONSULAR LIST. HE NOTED THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN OUR POSITION.

HE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE VISA OFFICE WAS NOT A CONSULATE, IT

WAS A RESIDENT ORGANISATION SENT BY THE MFA FOLLOWING CONSULTATION

WITH THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES. IF WE WERE PREPARED TO INCLUDE

THE NAMES OF THE DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR, HE COULD NOT SEE

WHY WE OBJECTED TO LISTING ALL VISA OFFICE STAFF WITH DIPLOMATIC

PASSPORTS. HE ARGUED THAT THIS. COULD NOT BE TOO DIFFICULT FOR US.

IN CONCLUSION HE EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER THE

CHINESE REQUESTS AGAIN WITH A VIEW TO RESOLVING THE PROBLEMS HE

HAD EXPLAINED TO US. I UNDERTOOK TO REPORT. I ADDED THAT I WAS

SURE THAT BOTH SIDES WISHED TO SOLVE ANY PRACTICAL PROBLEMS THAT

MIGHT AREISE, BUT IN DOING SO EACH SIDE MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE

CONSIDERATIONS FACING THE OTHER. | THEREFORE HOPED THAT THE

CHINESE SIDE WOULD STUDY CAREFULLY THE REMARKS I HAD MADE IN

RESPONSE TO CHEN'S EARLIER APPROACH. CHEN CONFIRMED THAT THEY WOULD

DO SO.

2. I DID NOT UNDERTAKE TO RESPOND TO CHEN AND SUGGEST THAT WE

TAKE NO FURTHER ACTION UNLESS THE CHINESE REVERT.

THOMSON

LIMITED

HKD

FED

PROTOCOL D MR WILSON

CONS D

COPIES TO:

MR WHOMERSLEY,

LEGAL ADVISERS

CONFIDENTIAL

Daco O

Docs O

"OF

CONFIDENTIAL

35408

PP PEKING

GRS 49

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO 301555Z JUL 85

TO PRIORITY PEKING

TELEGRAM NUMBER 667 OF 30 JULY

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

15

BOYD'S TELELETTER OF 12 JULY TO GALSWORTHY, HKD: CHINESE VISA

OFFICE IN HONG KONG

1.

GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THE CHINESE ON THE LINES

PROPOSED IN PARA 3 OF TELELETTER UNDER REFERENCE.

HOWE

NNNN

DISTRIBUTION:-

LIMITED

HKD

FED

CONS D

PROTOCOL D

DR WILSON

////

COPIES TO:-

MR WHOMERSLEY LEGAL ADVISERS

1

CONFIDENTIAL

20

MKK 349/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

3 1 JUL 1985

DESK OFFICER

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Action Taken

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