British Embassy
CONFIDENTIAL
11 Guang Hua Lu Jian Guo Men Wai Peking People's Republic of China
Telex 22191 Cable Prodrome Peking
Telephone 521961/2/3/4/5
Rey
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will
'45'
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Your reference
L Stephenson Esq
Migration and Visa Department
FCO
611 345/301/1
Our reference
Date
5 July 1990
2 h
13. 1990
*ང།
GRATIS VISAS
1.
2.
(41
Please refer to your letter of 18 June.
The answers to the questions you pose in para 3 are as follows:
a) all official passports are issued by MFA. Dark brown
passports are not "private passports for public affairs" They are not issued to private individuals: they are held by Government officials, civil servants, businessmen and Chinese government members: all those who have a legitimate reason to travel abroad.
b)
yes
c) 1988: 53,031, out of which estimated 45,076 on behalf
of Hong Kong (85%).
d)
e)
f)
1989: 37,683, out of which estimated 32,030 on behalf
of Hong Kong (85%)
Obtaining exact figures impossible due to poor computer records.
All passports submitted to official visa section must be accompanied by a note from a Ministry sanctioning/ sponsoring the visit.
Impossible to say: at the moment we do not differentiate at all between the categories of passport submitted for official visas: therefore no record of numbers. We could spend a week doing a tally to get a rough estimate but this would slow down work considerably.
At the moment, vast majority of applications issued within the time guidelines laid down. (7-10 days short, 30 days long). Delay usually at London end in referral process or if computer breaks down.
CONFIDENTIAL
19.
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