CONFIDENTIAL
GRC 355
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 211035Z NOV 78
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1256 OF 1 NOVEMBER
HKK-341/1 RECEIVED IN REGISTR WO
20/1978
DESK OFER
INDEX
PAI
И
51
REC. TRY
Action Ten
INFO PRIORITY PEKING ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WEELCE LONGE
INFO SAVING MANILA
124
MY TELNO 1185: IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA.
Seef 151
130
POLITICAL ADVISER TODAY GAVE NCNA THE FIGURES OF IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA FOR OCTOBER. THE TOTAL WAS 8,485 (COMPARED WITH 7,016 FOR SEPTEMBER), GIVING A DAILY AVERAGE OF 274 (234) OR
257 (222) EXCLUDING THOSE WITH VISAS FOR AN ONWARD DESTINATION.
2. THE POLITICAL ADVISER SAID THAT WE HAD TAKEN CAREFUL NOTE OF WHAT HUANG HUA HAD SAID TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN LONDON (YOUR TELNO 619 TO PEKING). WE WERE SURE THAT CHINA WAS INDEED MAKING SOME EFFORTS TO RESTRICT THE NUMBERS. NEVERTHELESS, THE FIGURES SHOWED THAT THESE EFFORTS HAD NOT YET PROVED EFFECTIVE, THE NUMBERS HAD CONTINUED TO RISE: WE COULD ONLY VIEW THIS WITH
INCREASING CONCERN,
3. THE POLITICAL ADVISER SAID THAT HE WISHED TO DRAW PARTICULAR
ATTENTION TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE HOLDING CPG PASSPORTS WHO HAD LEFT CHINA CLAIMING TO BE ON THEIR WAY TO THE PHILIPPINES BUT WITHOUT ONWARD VISAS. THE NUMBER FOR OCTOBER HAD BEEN 3,340.
SUCH CASES HAD BEEN INCREASING RAPIDLY SINCE MAY WHEN THE FIGURE HAD BEEN 400. SO FAR AS WE KNEW, NONE ACTUALLY WENT TO THE PHILIPPINES. THE LOCAL CONSULATE-GENERAL HAD TOLD US THAT, SINCE
THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, NO VISAS FOR SUCH PEOPLE HAD BEEN ISSUED: INDEED THOSE WHO WENT TO THE CONSULATE DID SO ONLY TO ASK FOR A DECLARATION THAT THEY WERE INELIGIBLE FOR VISAS. THE INEVITABLE CONCLUSION WAS THAT BOTH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES AND OURSELVES WERE BEING DECEIVED. HE HOPED THE MATTER COULD BE DEALT WITH URGENTLY. THERE WAS A PHILIPPINES EMBASSY IN PEKING,
IT WAS REASONABLE TO EXPECT THAT ALL THOSE WISHING TO GO TO THE PHILIPPINES SHOULD OBTAIN VISAS FROM THE EMBASSY BEFORE LEAVING
CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL
ON
14. NONA