CONFIDENTIAL
3
to persuade them to return. PA said that we could look into the question of how such people were treated but he did not think that this would solve the real problem.
9.
On people from Vietnam, Li said that these people were Vietnamese not Chinese. Some had stopped temporarily in China where they had been given food and medical treatment for humanitarian reasons. In answer to the PA's comment that we had evidence of stays of several months in China and of people crossing the land border into China, which Mr Orr had already passed over to Mr Tan, Mr Li said that such cases were "isolated occurrences".
Through train service
10.
Mr Li said that he wished to raise another matter totally unconnected with immigration. Economic and other contacts between Hong Kong and Canton were now such that it would be very convenient to have a through train service. Since the track had not been used in this way for nearly 30 years he thought it would be a good idea to have a trial run or two in each direction. The Chinese side would also like to discuss the technical details and solve them satisfactorily as had been done in the case of "supply of water". One question which would need to be settled was that of examining baggage. He wondered if it would be possible to have Chinese customs at Kowloon as there used to be (i.e. before 1949).
11.
PA said that we had no objection in principle to a through train service. We were in favour of moves which genuinely speeded communications between Hong Kong and Canton. There were, of course, technical matters to be discussed, but we would be prepared to engage in such discussions. As for customs, the previous post at Kowloon had been under very different circumstances. It had been there essentially to deal with the problem of smuggling. He said that, as a personal opinion, he thought that a customs post now would not really be suitable. Security matters could easily be dealt with by an inspection of baggage as he thought was done for the hoverferry service. The train service itself could be "sealed", with customs inspection at each end.
Water supply to Kowloon Walled City
12.
Mr Li reminded the PA of what he had said the previous week about the possibility of improving the water supply to Kowloon Walled City. PA said that he had already made some preliminary enquiries but he was still not
/contd..
CONFIDENTIAL
: