FO371-27622 — Page 42

NOTHING

TO

38

WRITTEN

IN

THIS

MARGIN.

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Registry

No. F 215/98/10

OUT

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30

FOREIGN OFFICE, S.W.1.

30 January, 1941.

32

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And.27/1

Draft

Chinese Ambassador.

copy corpeople go. Chunguany Shanghai

CD. concur. CO.com

1.9.4.9.

لبيلا

KAL

17-Butler (res.

Your Excellency,

I have the honour to refer to Your Excellency's

memorandum No. 41/1 of 6th January on the

subject of the regulations governing the entry

of Chinese into Hong Kong.

#. The most careful consideration has been

given to the points raised by you. The measure

was, however, urgently required in the interests

of the defence of Hong Kong and I regret that

it has not been found possible to meet your

request for postponement. A proclamation was

issued in Hong Kong on 8th January bringing

the ordinance into effect on 15th January, and

it is now being enforced.

#. I can, however, assure you that the

measures provided in the ordinance will be

administered as sympathetically as possible so

as to alleviate any hardship or inconvenience to

Chinese nationals. In particular, every effort

will be made to avoid delay to distinguished

personages

Chinese officials and other bersonslítics entering

Hong Kong, and in this connexion I venture to

suggest that the Chinese authorities should advise

the Hong Kong Immigration Office in advance

(telegraphic address:- Imoff, Hong Kong) of the

expected arrival of such personages.

. As regards entry into Hong Kong, the

position is that passports must now be visa'd

by a British authority to be valid for Hong Kong,

but where persons do not hold passports application

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for!

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