CONFIDENTIAL
9. WE SUGGEST THAT THE FOREGOING POINTS MIGHT BE MADE IN THE FORM
OF AN AIDE MEMOIRE. HOWEVER, WE SHOULD LIKE PEKING TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING POINTS ORALLY:
A. THIS IS A PRACTICAL PROBLEM, A SOLUTION TO IT WILL NOT BE FOUND BY DEBATING THE TERMS AND SCOPE OF THE 1974 ORAL AGREEMENT ON THE REPATRIATION FROM HONG KONG OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA, OR
BY REFERENCE TO THE FORMAL STATUS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEFT VIETNAM
FOR CHINA.
B. AN EARLY SOLUTION IS DESIRABLE IN ORDER TO MINIMISE THE RISKS OF PUBLICITY. THE LOCAL PRESS IN HONG KONG HAVE UNFORTUNATELY LEARNT ABOUT THE GROUP OF 133. EVERY EFFORT IS BEING MADE TO AVOID ANY PUBLICITY ABOUT THE GROUP OF 12% SINCE SENSATIONAL STORIES COULD BE WRITTEN WHICH WOULD BE DAMAGING TO GOOD RELATIONS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA. IF IT BECAME KNOWN THAT THE LATTER GROUP INCLUDED MANY PEOPLE WHO HAD CROSSED BY LAND TO
AND ANOTHER CHINA, THERE WOULD BE HEADLINES ABOUT ''
160,000 BEHIND THEM,
C. CHINA WILL KNOW THAT THERE ARE ALREADY OVER 4,000 REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM WHO HAVE REACHED HONG KONG BY BOAT. ABOUT 1,500 OF THESE HAVE COME IN SMALL JUNKS WHICH HAVE STOPPED BRIEFLY ON THE CHINESE COAST AND THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANY SUGGESTION THAT THESE PEOPLE SHOULD BE RETURNED TO CHINA. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY OF HONG KONG ACCEPTING PEOPLE WHO CANNOT BE TREATED AS REFUGEES UNLESS PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THEIR ONWARD TRAVEL HAVE
BEEN MADE.
D. OUR CONCERN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IS INCREASED BY THE CONTINUING FLOW OF LEGAL IMMIGRATION. NEW ARRIVALS FROM CHINA AVERAGED 291
UP TO 22 NOVEMBER. PER DAY - EXCLUDING THOSE WITH ONWARD VISAS -
FURTHERMORE, EXTREMELY LARGE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO ENTER HONG KONG ILLEGALLY FROM CHINA 1456 WERE ARRESTED AND REPATRIATED UP TO 22 NOVEMBER (COMPARED WITH 554 IN AUGUST, 1019 IN SEPTEMBER AND 1414 IN OCTOBER).
VIENTIANE PLEASE PASS BY BAG TO HANOI.
MACLEHOSE
FILE S:
HK & G D
MR CORTAZZI
COFIES TO:
UND
FED
MR STRATTON MR MURRAY
HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE
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