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5.
1 fully realise the difficulties faced by the UK in offering to take more. Nevertheless, I think that some further offer is an essential pars of getting the Americans to do more and of securing local public opinion that the UK is genuinely concerned about the problem. It may be that singly to offer more places is not the answer. Perhaps a substantial offer of more places, spread over a reasonable time period, plus an offer of financial assistance to help the Americans with their budgetary problems, would be more effective.
6.
Whatever the correct mix, I think we need urgently direct discussions between FMG and the Americans to see what more can be done. The object of these would be to persuade the Americans to take really substantial numbers from Hong Kong (i.e. about 3,000 per month) and then use this to extract further offers from other potential resettlement countries. Only something on this scale will make a significant contribution to the problem here. Naturally we are making consistent efforts here with the US Consulate-General and prominent American visitors. But this is not enough. the full weight of HMG's backing.
We need
7.
We are very grateful for all that was done diplomatically to support the Hong Kong position at the Jakarta meeting and also for the fact that the Secretary of State spoke to Mr Vance about our problems. Robin McLaren, to whom I am copying this lotter, will be aware from his recent visit of the depth of feeling about the Vietnam refugee issue in Hong Kong. For the sake of the UK/Hong Kong relationship we need to be able to show that we are getting active support from IBIG in this way.
(D C Wilson)
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RJT McLaren Esq
Hong Kong & General Dept
KG MacInnes Esq
UKMIS Coneva
PJ Weston Esq
Washington
DC Bray Esq CMG CVO Hong Kong London Office
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