TNAG-2949-FCO40-4226-Hong-Kong-visa-policy-with-other-countries-1993 — Page 29

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160263 MDTTAN 3069

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FM NEW DELHI

TO TELELETTER FCO

TELELETTER

OF 180915Z OCTOBER 93

Mark

Rr R please

ре The 18/10.

HUD BP/E2345/2

INDIA/HONG KONG

FROM: L PARKER, NEW DELHI TO : L B SMITH ESQ, SAD, FCO

CC

1.

: D I LEWTY ESQ, MVD, FCO

MRS BARNES-JONES, HKD, FCO

RECE

18 OCT 1993

INDE/

THANK YOU FOR COPYING TO US YOUR MINUTING WITH MVD ABOUT THE POSSIBLE INTRODUCTION OF A VISA REGIME FOR INDIAN NATIONALS VISITING HONG KONG.

2. LIKE YOU, WE FIND IT HARD TO PREDICT HOW THE INDIANS WOULD RESPOND TO THE PROSPECT OF A VISA REGIME, BEYOND A GUESS THAT EITHER WAY THE REACTION IS UNLIKELY TO BE VERY STRONG. WE ENDORSE THE OTHER POINTS YOU MAKE. IN PARTICULAR WE:

CONFIRM WE WOULD NEED TO BRIEF THE INDIANS IN ADVANCE HERE AND IN LONDON (PRESUMABLY ALSO THROUGH THE INDIAN COMMISSION IN HONG KONG).

-

AGREE THAT SOME SECURITY RELATED SPIN COULD SWEETEN THE PILL A LITTLE, NOT LEAST FOLLOWING OUR RECENT SECURITY COOPERATION OVER SIKH SUSPECTED TERRORISTS IN HONG KONG.

3. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD WANT US TO OPERATE A VISA REGIME BUT THERE WOULD CERTAINLY BE STAFFING IMPLICATIONS, UK BASED AND/OR LOCALLY ENGAGED, PROBABLY AT ALL OUR POSTS IN INDIA THOUGH THE BRUNT WOULD PROBABLY FALL ON BOMBAY AND NEW DELHI.

4.

WE HAVE NO WAY OF ESTIMATING LIKELY NUMBERS. WE COULD TRAWL AIRLINES OPERATING BETWEEN INDIA AND HONG KONG BUT THEY ARE UNLIKELY TO BE ABLE TO BREAK DOWN THEIR OVERALL TRAFFIC INTO INDIANS AND OTHERS. IMMIGRATION HONG KONG SHOULD BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO ESTIMATE THE FLOW.

SIGNED L PARKER

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