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6.
It
Hong Kong now faced the prospect of major adjustments to housing, medical and educational programmes to cope with this influx. He believed both sides had a common interest in Hong Kong's prosperity; this could not be maintained with the current levels of immigration. Hong Kong's difficulties were now real and urgent. was very important that there should be a substantial fall in numbers. If this did not happen very soon, we might have to consider introducing our own measures of control in order to reduce the flow to an acceptable level. However, both we and the British Government would much prefer this to be achieved by the Chinese themselves. Because we considered the matter so serious, the Ambassador had been instructed to make representations in Peking. had asked to see the Foreign Minister but, since the latter was ill, was seeing the Deputy Foreign Minister at 6 p.m. We wished to make sure that the NCNA were fully informed at the same time of what was being said in Peking.
7.
He
Mr Li listened attentively. He said that they had paid great attention to this problem. We could be assured that they would continue to do so. They had noted what the Governor and the Chief Secretary had said about it recently. So far as the question of CPG passport holders going to the Philippines was concerned, they had already passed a message to the Fukien government following the PA's representations on 1 November. They had been told by Shum Chun that the number of such people arriving at the border had already dropped. PA said that there was, as yet, no evidence from our figures that the number crossing the border had in any way diminished. (He confirmed this with the latest figures by telephone next morning.) He hoped that what Mr Li said was true and that it would become apparent in the next few days. He repeated that the matter was essentially simple to solve by insisting that all those who wished to go to the Philippines should first get visas from the Philippines Embassy in Peking. Mr Li agreed.
8.
Mr Li said that they had already reduced the number of people coming on single-journey documents as from September or even earlier. As for those with double- journey documents, he found it difficult to understand why the Hong Kong authorities made it so easy for them to stay. They were issued with temporary identity documents. When their organisations in China asked them to return, they responded that since the Hong Kong authorities had treated them in this way they thought it better to remain in Hong Kong. PA said that if people wished to stay here beyond the validity of their documents, we could not simply arrest them and push them back across the border. Furthermore, if they stayed here illegally without documents they would become a prey to criminals such as the triad societies. Mr Li agreed that people could not be sent back forcibly, but he thought that the Hong Kong authorities should attempt
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