CONFIDENTIAL
3. KE HUA EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THE TONE OF CORTAZZI'S
REMARKS AND SAID HIS GOVERNMENT CERTAINLY UNDERSTOOD HMG'S CONCERN.
THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WERE TAKING MEASURES TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM AND THOUGH A SPEEDY SOLUTION WOULD BE DIFFICULT, AS HE HOPED WE UNDERSTOOD, THEY WOULD DO THEIR BEST TO FIND A SOLUTION. HE SAID
THAT SOME CHINESE WHO ENTERED HONG KONG WERE DOING SO ON SHORT TERM EXIT/RE-ENTRY DOCUMENTS AND THOSE WHO OUT-STAYED THEIR TIME IN HONG KONG COULD CERTAINLY BE RETURNED. THE VIETNAMESE SITUATION WAS MORE COMPLICATED SINCE AS HE UNDERSTOOD IT, SOME OF THOSE CONCERNED WERE TRAVELLING ON VIETNAMESE AND NOT CHINESE DOCUMENTS.
THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WOULD CONSIDER THE PROBLEM FROM THE HUMANITARIAN POINT OF VIEW, BUT HAD TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT A NUMBER OF COMPLICATING FACTORS. HE UNDERTOOK TO CONVEY CORTAZZI'S REMARKS TO HIS GOVERNMENT AND SAID HE HOPED MR CRADOCK WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUE HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTRY IN PEKING.
OWEN
FILES
PS/LORD GORONWY ROBERTS
FCD
ML CORTAZARA
BKYGD
NR HULRAY
MVD
PUSD
Doga2:39
(Pics "To;
HONG KONG GOVT
OFFICE, LONDON
2.
CONFIDENTIAL