QRS 563
CONFIDENTIAL
ne
Y 164334Z
CONFIDENTIAL-
174
FM PEKING 160352Z DEC 78
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 916 OF 16 DEC
AND TO HONG KONG
RFI HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LDN
165
YOUR TELNO 795: IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA
1.
TOP
HIKIL 349PY
HIཆར
18 DEC 1973
DISK C." INDEX
VICE-FOREIGN MINISTER, CHANG WEN-CHIN, RECEIVED ME YEST- ERDAY EVENING. I SPOKE AS INSTRUCTED, REFERRING TO YOUR DIS- CUSSION WITH HUANG HUA, THE CONTINUING LARGE INCREASE IN
NUMBERS OF BOTH LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND THE CONSEQUENT SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES FACED BY THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES. AS REGARDS THOSE CLAIMING TO BE ONWARD TRAVELLERS, I POINTED OUT-
THAT WE WERE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT GENUINE TRANSIT CASES BUT WANTED THE CHINESE TO ENSURE THAT VISAS FOR ONWARD DESTINATIONS WERE ACQUIRED BEFORE EXIT PERMITS WERE ISSUED. ON THE QUESTION OF POSSIBLE REIMPOSITION OF CONTROLS, J MADE USE OF THE FORMULA IN YOUR TEL UNDER REFERENCE. I HANDED OVER A BOUT DE PAPIER DETAILING THE NOVEMBER 1979, OCTOBER 1978 AND NOVEMBER 1977 FIGURES FOR LEGAL IMMIGRATION AND ILLEGALS REPATRIATED TOG-
ETHER WITH THE LATEST AVAILABLE FIGURES FOR DECEMBER.
2. CHANG REPLIED AT CONSIDERABLE LENGTH, IN A RATHER RAMBLING WAY, EXPLAINING THE PHENOMENON IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC STAGNATION AND POLITICAL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST INTELLECTUALS AND RELATIVES OF OVERSEAS CHINESE DURING THE GANG OF FOUR PERIOD, COUPLED WITH A RESTRICTIVE POLICY ON THE ISSUE OF EXIT PERMITS.. A
GREAT DEAL OF PRESSURE HAD BUILT UP AS A RESULT AND THE OPENING OF THE GATES HAD LED TO A FLOOD OF APPLICATIONS. THERE WAS
ALSO A LOT OF CONFUSION ON THE PART OF BOTH WOULD-BE EMIGRANTS
AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF OBTAINING VISAS
FOR THIRD PLACES AFTER HAVING REACHED HONG KONG. A LONG TERM
SOLUTION LAY IN AN IMPROVEMENT OF THE ECONOMIC SITUATION, WHICH
WOULD MEAN LESS PEOPLE WANTED TO LEAVE.
/ 3. CHANG
CONFIDENTIAL