CONFIDENTIAL
רוי
GRS 250
IMMEDIATE
CYPHER CAT/A
FM HONG KONG 210855Z
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY PEKING 211030Z
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 50
2211 MAY 1975
1K18/25
TOP COPI
LAIT
REF
114
MF***
REF.
125
TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 506 OF 21 MAY INFO IMMEDIATE CANBERRA, PEKING, ROUTINE SINGAPORE (SAIGON UNIT) AND UKMIS NEW
YORK.
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 403: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
SUBJECT TO PEKING'S VIEWS I THINK THE CHINESE ARE LIKELY TO
TAKE A PRAGMATIC VIEW. SITUATION WOULD ONLY BE DANGEROUS IF ANY
U.N. OPERATIONS RELATING TO HONG KONG APPEARED TO CHALLENGE THEIR
PUBLIC POSITION ON THE STATUS OF HONG KONG 1.E. THAT IT IS PART: OF CHINESE TERRITORY TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED BY THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES.
2. IN PRACTICE, IF U N H CR OFFICIALS WERE SEEN TO OPERATE FROM A BASE IN HONG KONG, CHINESE MIGHT WELL FEAR THAT THE UNHCR MIGHT RE-ESTABLISH A PERMANENT FOOTHOLD AND TURN HIS ATTENTION TO CHINESE AS WELL AS VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. THERE WAS A RUMOUR, WHICH
HAS NOT MATERIALISED, THAT THE HIGH COMMISSIONER HIMSELF MIGHT BE
COMING TO HONG KONG.
3. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF THE UNHCR WERE TO OPERATE THROUGH I CEM, WHICH HAS BEEN KEEPING A WATCHING BRIEF FOR THEM SINCE THEY WITHDREW THEIR HONG KONG OFFICE IN 1972, THEN THE RISK OF CHINESE DISAPPROVAL WOULD PROBABLY BE SLIGHT.
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