I appreciate the confusion of the OP with the VFR in Hong Kong. I used to fly GA in Hong Kong, helicopters out of HKAC after Kai Tak closed.
The details are hazy now but I do remember how we would sometimes be issued a "clearance" when in the Zone out of the closed Kai Tak, but at the time (say 2005) it was not controlled airspace. We went along with it as GA pilots, as it seemed like a good idea at the time and at least it kept ATC happy that they knew where we were and what our plans were.
After 18.30L on a summers evening it was possible to be band-boxed with HK Tower when stooging around the Sokoe Islands in an R22. We both really wondered what we were doing on the same frequency. There was no requirement, but we did it to keep the peace with ATC.
It worked, it wasn't ICAO standard but then neither is much of the VFR world outside of CTRs.