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7. THESE NUMBERS ARE SUCH THAT WE COULD NOT DEVISE ANY SCHEME WHICH WOULD BE RATIONAL, ADMINISTRATIVELY FEASIBLE AND LIMIT NUMBERS TO ABOUT FIFTY PER DAY. INDEED WE ARE NOT AT PRESENT ISSUING ANY NEW ENTRY PERMITS AND WILL SOON SEEK EXCO APPROVAL FOR A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT THAT, WITH THE PRESENT HIGH RATE OF IMMIGRATION, NO ENTRY PERMITS WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE TIME BEING, IF THE SITUATION CAN BE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL, THROUGH BUILDING ON CHINESE IDEAS AS WE PROPOSE, WE MIGHT REVERT TO THE POSSIBILITY BUT THAT SEEMS A LONG OF ALL ENTRY BEING BY MEANS OF OUR PERMITS.
WAY OFF.
8. WE AGREE WITH PEKING THAT THE CHINESE MIGHT POSSIBLY PREFER TO HAVE SOME FORM OF CONTROL EXERCISED BY US SO THAT THEY COULD ARGUE THAT THEIR OWN LIBERAL POLICY WAS ONLY LIMITED BY OTHERS, HENCE OUR PROPOSAL IN PARA.4.
9. BUT IF THE CHINESE WOULD POSITIVELY PREFER CONTROLS BASED ENTIRELY ON ENTRY PERMITS ISSUED BY US THEY HAVE GIVEN NO SIGN OF IT, AND THEIR NEW PROPOSAL IS AMBIGUOUS AND EVEN DISCOURAGING IN THIS RESPECT. WE HOPE WHAT WE NOW PROPOSE WILL BE SEEN AS A HELPFUL COMPROMISE THAT WILL STILL LEAVE CONTROL OF PERMANENT EMIGRATION IN THEIR HANDS AND ENABLE THEM TO SAY THAT THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF TWO-WAY PERMITS ARE DUE TO ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS BY HONG KONG.
10. GRATEFUL FOR VERY EARLY APPROVAL OF AN APPROACH ALONG THE LINES OF MY PARA.4.
MACLEHOSE
FILES
HK & GD (6)
UND
COPIES TO
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE
6 GRAFTON STREET
SEAD
FED
PS
PS/LORD GORONWY ROBERTS PS/PUS
STR A DUFF MR CORTAZZI MR MURRAY
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