TNAG-2088-FCO40-2973-Diplomatic-representation-of-third-countries-in-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 39

CONFIDENTIAL

FM CARACAS

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB

400/1

RECEIVED IN BESTRY

تسلا

verch

177036

MDHIAN 8419

180

Harwell Hongkong

Hong Kong Dept.

for you

Тор сору

r

2

TOP COPY No zdz

think?

TO

IMMEDIATE FCO

15 MAR 1990

TELNO 42

DESK

OF 2218OOZ FEBRUARY 1980-

INDEX

AND TO IMMEDIATE ACTOR

a DIST ?

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

HONG KONG TELNO 3: ARRIVAL OF CHINESE IN VENEZUELA

1. WE ARE OF COURSE READY TO APPROACH THE VENEZUELAN AUTHORITIES TO SEEK THE INFORMATION REQUESTED IN PARA 2 OF TUR. BUT WE HAVE NOT HITHERTO CONTACTED THE VENEZUELANS ON THIS ISSUE, NOR HAVE THEY CONTACTED US. GRATEFUL FOR CONFIRMATION THAT THE FCO ARE CONTENT. ALSO WE SHOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW OF ANY CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO POINTS OF A LEGAL AND PROTOCOL NATURE RELEVANT TO THE POSSIBLE ARREST OF THE VENEZUELAN CONSUL IN HONG KONG.

2. WE SHALL NOTIFY HONG KONG IF WE LEARN OF VENEZUELAN INTENTIONS TO RETURN HONG KONG RESIDENTS TO HONG KONG, AND WILL ASSIST WITHIN OUR MEANS. WE WILL NOT (NOT) ISSUE TRANSIT VISAS TO CHINESE NATIONALS WHO MAY BE EXPELLED BY THE VENEZUELANS AS A RESULT OF THE CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION, BUT WILL INSTEAD ISSUE 'IN DIRECT TRANSIT' VISAS AS SUGGESTED IN LAST SENTENCE OF TUR. HOWEVER, THERE ARE NUMEROUS CHINESE LEGITIMATELY RESIDENT IN VENEZULA, AND WE OFTEN ISSUE 7 DAY 'IN TRANSIT' VISAS FOR HONG KONG EG FOR THE RECENT CHINESE NEW YEAR. WE WILL SEEK TO DIFFERENTIATE THESE TRAVELLERS FROM THE DOUBTFUL ONES.

J

3. ACTION BY EITHER OURSELVES OR THE VENEZUELANS IS LIKELY TO BE COMPLICATED BY THE IMPENDING CARNAVAL HOLIDAY. 26 AND 27 FEBRUARY ARE PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, AND THE REMAINDER OF NEXT WEEK IS UNLIKELY TO BE PRODUCTIVE.

4. SEE MIFT (NOT TO ALL).

FITZHERBERT

YYYY

1

PAGE

CONFIDENTIAL