00 PEKING
GRS 365
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 020100Z
FM FCO 011806Z JUNE 79
CONFIDENTIAL
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 327 OF 1 JUNE
896
Hkk 2431
RECEIVED WIRE KO.
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INFO PRIORITY: HONG KONG, WASHINGTON
IMMIGRATION AND VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
1. THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR CALLED ON THE MINISTER OF STATE
TODAY. MR BLAKER NOTED THAT YOU HAD DISCUSSED IMMIGRATION
HE WELCOMED WHAT THE VICE MINISTER
WITH ZHANG YESTERDAY.
HAD SAID.
HE WAS PLEASED THAT THE LEVEL OF LEGAL
IMMIGRANTS HAD DROPPED AND HOPED IT WOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO.
HOWEVER OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS AN AVERAGE OF 800 ILLEGAL
IMMIGRANTS PER DAY HAD BEEN ARRESTED IN HONG KONG.
MANY
MORE WERE NOT PICKED UP.
SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM.
BOTH OUR COUNTRIES TO PREVENT THE HONG KONG ECONOMY BEING
DAMAGED BY A MASSIVE INFLUX.
HE HOPED THE CHINESE COULD DO
IT WAS IN THE INTERESTS OF
KE HUA REPLIED THAT HE WAS
AWARE OF THE GENERAL SITUATION BUT HAD NO INFORMATION ON THE
CONTENT OF YOUR TALKS WITH ZHANG.
HE WOULD MAKE INQUIRIES
WHEN HE RETURNED TO PEKING ON 18 JUNE.
2. MR BLAKER RAISED THE SUBJECT OF THE QUOTE NORSE VIKING
UNQUOTE CURRENTLY IN WHAMPOA.
THE LORD PRIVY SEAL HAD
OUR
ALREADY SPOKEN TO THE AMBASSADOR ON THIS SUBJECT. PRESS
REPORTS (WHICH HAD BEEN THE BASIS OF THE LORD PRIVY SEAL'S
REMARKS) THAT THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES HAD REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE
NORSE VIKING'S REFUGEES HAD NOW BEEN CONFIRMED.
UNDERSTANDING OF INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION WAS THAT THE FIRST
PORT OF CALL SHOULD NORMALLY ACCEPT REFUGEES.
BUT IN THIS
CASE THE CAPTAIN HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THE REFUGEES COULD NOT
LAND.
MR BLAKER URGED THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO RECONSIDER.
KE HUA SAID HE HAD REPORTED THE LORD PRIVY SEAL'S REMARKS
BUT HAD RECEIVED NO
INSTRUCTIONS.
AND INFORM US OF THE REPLY.
HE WOULD REPORT AGAIN
SPEAKING PERSONALLY HE SAID
1
CONFIDENTIAL
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