The central government has told Hong Kong-based foreign consular officials they should seek Beijing’s approval before travelling to Macao or Guangdong province for work, the Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) reports.
The request came via a letter from the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong, and was dated 1 August, says HKFP. The letter stated that foreign consular officials in Hong Kong needing to perform official duties “outside their consular districts” should obtain “prior consent” at least 10 days in advance.
HKFP did not clarify how the new rule impacted consulates based in Hong Kong that explicitly oversaw Macao, too. These include the US Consulate General for Hong Kong and Macau and the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Hong Kong and Macao.
[See more: The SAR government issues a strong rebuff to the latest EU report on Macao]
One senior staffer told the outlet that foreign consular officials travelling to the mainland had needed to apply for Chinese work visas, a process that took several days. However, they had previously been able to enter Macao simply with their diplomatic passports or a Consular Corps Identity Card issued by the Hong Kong government.
Under the directive, consulates would reportedly need to send a note to the Chinese authorities explaining the reason behind any official trips, who would be involved, which venues they planned to visit and when, along with other details.
HKFP said it had obtained a copy of the letter and verified its authenticity with three different consulates.
