CONFIDENTIAL
LUKC
020/5
13
M
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1720
OF 25111OZ JUNE 92
CM
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, ATTC TAIPEI, BTC HONG KONG
147036
MDLIAN 5052
BTC HONG KONG PLEASE PASS ATTC TAIPEI
FOLLOWING FROM POLITICAL ADVISER'S OFFICE: MORRICE'S TELELETTER OF 11 JUNE: UK/TAIWAN RELATIONS.
1.
VINCENT SIEW'S REFERENCE TO HAVING BEEN REFUSED A VISA 15 YEARS AGO DOES NOT GREATLY IMPRESS US AS THINGS HAVE CHANGED A BIT SINCE THEN (EXCLAM). IT SEEMS A PRETTY BLATANT PIECE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PRESSURE. WE SHOULD BE HAPPY FOR MORRICE TO PUNCTURE THIS AT A SUITABLE OPPORTUNITY BY SAYING THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT RARELY IF EVER REFUSES VISAS TO TAIWANESE VISITORS THESE DAYS, AND THAT IF MR SIEW WERE TO TRY APPLYING AGAIN HE (MORRICE)) WAS CONFIDENT THERE SHOULD BE NO DIFFICULTY, ASSUMING SIEW WERE TO COME IN A PRIVATE CAPACITY AND NOT TO SEEK TO REPRESENT TAIWAN (SEE PARA 3 BELOW).
NATURALLY WE CANNOT GIVE A CATEGORICAL GUARANTEE THAT ANY VISA WILL BE ISSUED BUT THE POSITION HAS BEEN LIBERALISED CONSIDERABLY IN RECENT YEARS. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS WE HAVE ISSUED MANY VISAS TO TAIWANESE OFFICIALS INCLUDING SOME HIGH RANKING ONES. SO FAR THIS YEAR WE HAVE ISSUED FOUR VISAS TO OFFICIALS AT MINISTER/ADMINISTRATIVE VICE MINISTER RANK.
3. IN THE CASE OF SENIOR TAIWANESE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WE DO STILL REQUIRE AN UNDERTAKING THAT THEY WILL NOT REPRESENT OR PURPORT TO REPRESENT TAIWAN OR THE AUTHORITIES THERE, AND THAT THEY COME AS A PRIVATE PERSON AND WILL NOT ENGAGE IN ANY ACTIVITIES WHICH MIGHT CAUSE EMBARRASSMENT TO HKG. THE CHINESE REMAIN EXTREMELY SENSITIVE TO TAIWANESE ACTIVITIES IN HONG KONG (THEY HAVE COMPLAINED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES OF JOHN NI, THE DIRECTOR OF THE CHUNG HUA TRAVEL SERVICE) AND WE DO NOT INTEND TO RELAX OUR REQUIREMENT FOR SUCH AN UNDERTAKING. IN JULY 1990 WE REFUSED A VISA TO MA YINGJIU FROM THE EXECUTIVE YUAN WHEN WE LEARNED THAT HE WAS COMING TO MAKE A PUBLIC SPEECH ON TAIPEI'S MAINLAND POLICY', WHICH WE CONSIDERED LIKELY TO CAUSE HKG EMBARRASSMENT. AND IN AUGUST LAST YEAR WE TURNED BACK
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