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ROBSTKY NO. 51 29 OCT 1979
MISTRY
in Taken
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SECRET
FM F C O 2516452 OCT 79
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
по
83020
TELEGRAM NUMBER 875 OF 25 OCTOBER
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MIPT: BRIEFING FOR PREMIER HUA'S VISIT.
1. FOLLOWING ARE DRAFT SPEAKING NOTES FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE:
(A) IMMIGRATION
1. LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA REMAINS A VERY SERIOUS FROBLEM.
2. APPRECIATE DIFFICULTIES ON CHINESE SIDE AND RECOGNISE THAT
EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO BRING DOWN NUMBERS.
3. GRATEFUL FOR AGREEMENT TO TAKE BACK VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WHO
PAD SETTLED IN CHINA.
4. BUT NUMBERS STILL MUCH TOO HIGH 230,000 IN LAST 21 MONTHS AND MORE COMING AT A CURRENT RATE OF 210,000 A YEAR, THESE NUMBERS CANNOT BE ABSORBED WITHOUT SERIOUS EFFECTS ON HONG KONG'S ECONOMY
AND STABILITY. THEREFORE URGE CHINESE TO BRING NUMBERS DOWN TO
MANAGEABLE PROPORTIONS. PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT RENEWED STEEP RISE IN ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION (QUOTE LATEST FIGURES).
(B) LEASES
1. SORRY CHINESE FOUND OUR PROPOSALS UNNECESSARY AND INAPPROPRIATE.
THEY WERE DESIGNED TO DEAL WITH A GENUINE SHORT-TERM PROBLEM IN A
WAY THAT WOULD NOT PREJUDICE CHINESE POSITION ON LONG-TERM
FUTURE OF HONG KONG.
2. REMARKS SUCH AS HUA'S AT RECENT PRESS CONFERENCE HELPFUL,
BUT CANNOT SOLVE THIS PRACTICAL PROBLEM, IF PROPOSED SOLUTION NOT ACCEPTABLE, ANOTHER WILL HAVE TO BE FOUND FAIRLY SOON. OTHERWISE
HONG KONG WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PLAY ITS PART IN CHINA'S MODERNISATION
FROGRAMME.
3. IN THE MEANTIME IT IS OF COURSE IMPORTANT TO MAINTA IN
CONFIDENTIALITY ABOUT THESE EXCHANGES.
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