Concerns over Beijing’s new restrictions on foreign consular visits

Foreign consulates based in Hong Kong will need to seek approval from Chinese authorities 10 days in advance of any visits by officials to Macau or other cities in the Greater Bay Area, according to a new directive.

The Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong has informed consulates that if foreign officials need to perform duties outside their consular districts in the Greater Bay Area, they must obtain “prior consent” from Chinese authorities, according to the Hong Kong Free Press.

To seek approval, consulates must submit, in detail, a note explaining the reason for travel, personnel involved, dates and locations to be visited, and any mainland departments they intend to meet with.

Three consulates in Hong Kong confirmed receiving the letter and said it instituted a new process for regulating consular activities.

“Many consulates in Hong Kong also oversee Macau, and therefore we need go to Macau from time to time,” said Mandy, a senior staff member at a local consulate (offering comment under a pseudonym).

“We also visit Shenzhen, Guangzhou, or other cities in Guangdong province to attend activities like opening ceremonies, or for visiting businesspeople from the country of our consulate.”

Mandy expressed concerns about the new measure, noting it raises questions over whether visit applications could be rejected by Chinese authorities.

“Besides, we’re required to share details of our trips, but we can’t be sure whether the parties we’re visiting feel comfortable being identified by Chinese authorities,” Mandy said.

The Portuguese Consulate-General in Macau, however, told Ponto Final that the directive does not apply to the Portuguese diplomatic mission, since Macau and Hong Kong are part of its consular jurisdiction.

The letter cites Article 6 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which allows consular functions outside districts with host state consent. Applications must go to foreign affairs offices in Guangdong or the commissioner’s office in Macau.

The implications of this new directive for regional cooperation and consular independence remain unclear.

As Mandy noted, the move raises concerns about the autonomy of foreign diplomatic missions and their ability to effectively serve their citizens in the Greater Bay Area. Victoria Chan