Canberra, 21 December 1972
AP242. Secret Priority
Addressed Taipei and Hong Kong (Repeated All Posts by Savingram).
Closure of Post—Australia Interests
Your 838.1
Consular
Pending the possible transfer in time of certain residual consular responsibilities to another mission or the assignment of duties in other respects, it will be necessary for Australians who reside in Taiwan to refer all normal consular enquiries to the Australian Commission, Hong Kong, after the Embassy is closed. We release2 that this may complicate the handling of emergency cases but it is hoped that these will be infrequent.
Entry to Australia
Following the announcement of termination of relations with the ROC, the Embassy will be prevented from carrying out its formal duties forthwith, and not as you have suggested, over an extended period of time. Consequently, holders of ROC passports wishing to enter Australia would need to apply to the Australian Commission, Hong Kong, for a letter of authority or affidavit along the lines set out in Consular Circular 108172, as applying at present to visitors from other countries not recognized by Australia. The text of this circular is being cabled for your convenient reference.
As the Embassy will have no official standing after the termination of relations, it is suggested that the Embassy should issue a press statement on 22nd December shortly before the time set for recognition of the PRC advising that after the Embassy closes the Australian Commission, Union House, Connaught Road, Hong Kong is the appropriate authority for obtaining permission to enter Australia. You might inform travel agents and airlines in particular and see whether they would be willing to hold stocks of the application form mentioned above.
Trade Enquiries
Please advise whether you can quickly compile from trade records a list of members of Chambers of Commerce etc. and a reasonably comprehensive list of business visitors and members of organisations whose members’ travel to Australia would be for useful and bona fides trade purposes. Such a list would enable the Commission in Hong Kong to respond immediately to requests for travel authorisation and facilitate the travellers’ transit through Hong Kong. Similarly, trade enquiries should be directed to the Trade Commissioner in Hong Kong, at least for the time being.
Before the Embassy is closed you should inform the Foreign Ministry of the foregoing proposals and say that we would hope provisions could be made by the Chinese Government for its own agencies abroad to make it possible for Australian visitors to enter Taiwan (e.g. via Hong Kong, Tokyo or Manila) without administrative delays.
Please keep Hong Kong informed of any significant developments which may effect the workload at that post.
For Hong Kong
Grateful for your confirmation that appropriate arrangements can be made to handle consular and other enquiries from Taiwan. You will no doubt wish to inform the local immigration authorities of the procedures relating to travel to Australia by business visitors in particular so that boarding officers will be aware of them when travellers reach Hong Kong in transit.
[NAA: A1838, 3107/38118/6, ii]
1 19 December. It requested urgent guidance on the details of consular entry, and trade inquiry procedures to be followed after the closure of the Embassy in Taipei.
2 The word ‘release’ should presumably read ‘realise’ .