Mr David
HKD
Day
CONFIDENTIAL
Reference....
LEGAL EMIGRANTS FROM CHINA
1. You asked for comments on your draft letter to Mr Drace-Francis with reference to Mr Chui's report. I suggest rewording (b) and (c) in the draft letter for clarity as follows:
2.
"(b)
A
other criteria exist apart from the report's and the State Council's and referring in particular to overseas Chinese. One set may have been issued in May 1971 and another in July 1975
(c) Cin paragraph 3 of the report, Mr Chui argues that it is difficult, if not impossible, to see how the annual quota of emigrants is allocated within China. Our records, however, suggest that the State Council, on the request of both the Hong Kong authorities and the British Government who were anxious to reduce the number of legal immigrants entering Hong Kong each day, promulgated "further instruction" on the subject in the second half of 1973. Although we do not have the terms of the new regulations, we understand from one source that up to 25 applicants a day could be given exit permits in Fukien and Kwangtung and up to 10 a day from each of the other provinces. Subsequent reports have provided further glosses to general policy and provincial allocations"
In your final paragraph you say that Mr Drace-Francis may have realised that the Research Departments have commented at some length on Mr Chui's report. Neither Mr Drace-Francis nor Mr Fenn, however, have received copies of the minutes written by myself and Ms Pares, as at your request, we did not send them to Hong Kong or Peking. I suggest omitting "as you may have realised".
19 April 1977
CODE 18 - 17
CONFIDENTIAL
R.S. Bishops
R S Bishop (Miss) Far Eastern Section Research Department G 64/5
233 4299