B.c
I C Orr Esq, Hong Kong RE Allen Esq, FED, FCO
J Thompson Esq MBE, HK & GD V
341/1
НКК 341
RELLIVED IN RADYO NA
1 A
78
102
BRITISH EMBASSY,
PEKING.
21 July 1978
Chin Chi-sung Esq Consular Department. Ministry of Foreign Affairs PEKING
Dear Mr. Chun,
ar
حمة
You will remember that when we met at the dinner given by your department on 23 June, we spoke about the question of the high level of immigraton into Hong Kong from China. You wondered then whether the rate of immigration was not to some extent balanced out by the return of emigrants to China and immigration to China by Hong Kong residents. Mrs Chang Shu-chen expressed a similar view when I saw here on 14 July.
I am now able to pass on to you figures provided by Immigration Department, Hong Kong. According to statistics collected at Lo Wu in 1977 26,449 persons travelling on documents issued by your government entered Hong Kong at Lo Wu and 456 persons (1.72% of the ingoing figure) left Hong Kong for China. Up to May 1978 the figures are 17,995 persons entering Hong Kong and 310 (1.73%) entering China.
As you will see, although there has been a sharp increase in the numbers entering Hong Kong, the percentage returning to China has remained constant at a low level.
As far as Hong Kong residents are concerned, 27,715 persons travelling on Hong Kong Declarations of Identity entered Hong Kong, whilst 28,219 persons left Hong Kong for China.
This small net balance of immigration into China has been reversed this year when up to May 1978 18,373 persons entered Hong Kong and 18,223 persons left Hong Kong for Chiña.
I should be interested to know how well these figures correspond with those collected by your own Immigration officials. If there are any major discrepancies between your figures and ours I hope that careful investigation on both sides would enable these to be sorted out
I look forward to meeting you again soon.
Чайотиму Сейвид
K Sullivan
Second Secretary