GRS 300
SECRET
EM FCO 021825Z NOV 79
IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 909 OF 2 NOV 79
SEORET
жек aoli
RELENKO IN REONTO
261
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
255
FOR GOVERNOR FROM MCLAREN
5 NOV 1979
256
FCO TELNOS 898-900: PREMIER HUA'S VISIT.
INDE
1
1. THERE WAS SOME FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT HONG KONG DURING
THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S TALKS WITH THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER
THIS MORNING.
2. IMMIGRATION. LORD CARRINGTON SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN GRATEFUL
FOR WHAT PREMIER HUA HAD SAID ABOUT CONTROL OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION,
AS THIS WAS A GREAT WORRY TO THE GOVERNOR AND ADMINISTRATION
OF HONG KONG. LEGAL IMMIGRATION WAS ALSO VERY HIGH, ABOUT 60,000 SO FAR THIS YEAR AND RUNNING AT ABOUT 5,000 A MONTH. THIS, COUPLED WITH THE ILLEGALS AND BOAT PEOPLE, WAS PUTTING GREAT STRAIN
ON HONG KONG'S RESOURCES. LORD CARRINGTON ASKED THE FOREIGN MINISTER
TO LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM ALSO. HUANG HUA REPLIED THAT THE CHINESE
GOVERNMENT INTENDED TO TAKE FURTHER MEASURES TO CONTROL LEGAL
IMMIGRATION. PROSPECTIVE IMMIGRANTS WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE
NECESSARY PROCEDURES. ON ILLEGALS, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD ESTABLISHED A POLICY OF STRICT BORDER CONTROL, AND WOULD TAKE EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO SETTLE THIS QUESTION. THEY DID NOT WISH
TO INCREASE THE BURDEN OF POPULATION IN HONG KONG.
3. NEW TERRITORIES LEASES. LORD CARRINGTON SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN
GRATEFUL FOR PREMIER HUA'S OFFER TO KEEP IN TOUCH ON THE HONG KONG LEASES. THAT SAME EVENING, LORD CARRINGTON HAD GIVEN AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAD BEEN SAID TO ONE OF THE MOST SENIOR CHINESE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (SIR Y K KAN), WHO WAS CLEARLY STILL WORRIED ABOUT THE LIKELY ATTITUDE OF FOREIGN INVESTORS. THE HONG
KONG GOVERNMENT WERE ALSO WORRIED. LORD CARRINGTON WAS NOT
ASKING FOR AN ANSWER ON THE SPOT, BUT HOPED THE TWO GOVERNMENTS
COULD KEEP IN TOUCH. HUANG HUA READILY AGREED TO THIS,
4, THIS ACCOUNT IS TAKEN FROM THE DRAFT RECORD, NOT YET APPROVED. CARRINGTON
FILES
HKJAD FED
MR CORTAZZI
MR. MURRAY
SEORET