CONFIDENTIAL
legal immigrants have already entered Hong Kong from
China this year.
7. The Chinese Government appear to understand the
practical problems that this influx creates for Hong Kong.
But they claim that, because responsibility for
issuing exit permits has been devolved to local authorities,
it is difficult for the government to control the numbers.
We accept that this difficulty is genuine, but not
insuperable. We hope that the Chinese will realise that
if the immigrants continue to arrive in Hong Kong at the
present rate this will pose a threat to the stability
and prosperity of Hong Kong, which is no more in the
Chinese interest that it is in ours.