CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 120830Z FCO
TELNO 1837
OF 120730Z JUNE 90
INFORMATION
CONFIDENTIAL
CC3658
THE ADMISSION OF EASTERN EUROPEAN AND SOVBLOC NATIONALS TO HONG KONG
1. WE HAVE REVIEWED OUR POLICY ON THE ADMISSION TO HONG KONG OF EASTERN EUROPEAN AND SOVBLOC NATIONALS IN THE LIGHT OF THE CHANGING SITUATION IN THOSE COUNTRIES, THE LATEST THREAT ASSESSMENTS AND OUR VIEW OF HONG KONG'S COMMERCIAL AND POLITICAL INTERESTS. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHETHER THE CHANGES WE PROPOSE AS SET OUT BELOW WILL CAUSE YOU ANY CONCERN.
2. WE PROPOSE TO MAINTAIN EXISTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR AFGHANISTAN, ALBANIA, BULGARIA, CAMBODIA, CUBA, LAOS, MONGOLIA, THE PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF YEMEN, NORTH KOREA, THE SOVIET UNION AND VIETNAM. THIS RESTRICTS ENTRY TO GENUINE BUSINESSMEN, INTERNATIONAL ENTERTAINERS AND SPORTSMEN, UN OFFICIALS ON UN BUSINESS, CONFERENCE AND TRADE FAIR DELEGATES, MERCHANT SEAMEN AND OTHER MINOR CATEGORIES.
3. FOR POLAND, HUNGARY, CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND ROMANIA, WE INTEND TO REDUCE THE VISA PROCESSING TIME TO TEN WORKING DAYS FROM DATE OF RECEIPT TO THE DATE OF RESPONSE BY OUR IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT. THIS REDUCTION IN TIME WILL BE ACHIEVED BY DISPENSING WITH REQUEST TO THE AMERICANS FOR SECURITY CHECKS IN RESPECT OF THE EAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES MENTIONED ABOVE. CHECKS WILL STILL BE MADE WITH THE SECURITY SERVICE IN LONDON BUT THEY HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THESE CANNOT BE COMPLETED WITHIN OUR TEN WORKING DAY TIME-FRAME. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL THEREFORE IF YOU COULD ASK THE SECURITY SERVICE WHETHER BASED ON THEIR OWN (I.E. NOT THIRD COUNTRY) SOURCES, THEY COULD MEET THIS DEADLINE. IN CASES WHERE A THIRD COUNTRY CHECK PRODUCES ADVERSE INFORMATION AFTER A VISA IS ISSUED, WE WOULD TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT EX POST FACTO BY DENYING FURTHER VISAS OR IN SIGNIFICANT CASES MONITORING THE VISITOR HERE, THOUGH GIVEN LIMITED RESOURCES THIS WOULD ONLY BE POSSIBLE IN A VERY FEW CASES.
4. WE INTEND TO FOLLOW YOUR LEAD AND ABOLISH SEPARATE VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR EAST GERMANY FROM THE END OF JULY. THEREAFTER THEY WILL BE TREATED LIKE WEST GERMANS.
5. THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH VISITS WILL BE PERMITTED FOR THE EAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES MENTIONED IN PARAGRAPH 3 ABOVE WILL BE WIDENED TO INCLUDE TOURISM AND VISITS FOR PLEASURE. VISITS BY DIPLOMATS OF THESE COUNTRIES WHILE STATION IN THIRD COUNTRIES WILL ALSO BE
ALLOWED.
6. AS A GENERAL RULE WE PROPOSE TO MAINTAIN THE BAN ON PERMANENT REPRESENTATION HERE BY THE EAST EUROPEAN AND SOVBLOC COUNTRIES, BUT WE WILL BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER MODIFYING THIS GENERAL POLICY IF THERE SEEMS A PARTICULARLY GOOD CASE IN INDIVIDUAL CASES FOLLOWING CONSIDERATION ON A COUNTRY BY COUNTRY BASIS. THIS PROCESS HAS ALREADY COMMENCED IN THE CASE OF HUNGARY WHERE WE HAVE AGREED IN
PRINCIPLE TO THEIR ESTABLISHMENT OF A TRADE OFFICE (MY TELNO (1691)
A: SFORS
D: HE,CS(2), FS,C3F, AG, PA(3), DOFIMM(3), DSB(3), SLO, DFA, APA(G),APA(S)
FILE NO. SCR 2/2071/89
dp
CONFIDENTIAL
/7. WE INTEND
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