CONFIDENTIAL
5. THE POLITICAL ADVISER MIGHT GO ON TO SAY THAT PRIVATE TRAVEL-
LERS WITH VALID VISAS FOR ONWARD DESTINATIONS WOULD STILL BE
ALLOWED TO TRANSIT HONG KONG WITHOUT VISAS OR ENTRY PERMITS.
HE COULD THEN ADD THE POINT IN PARA 2 (VI) OF HONG KONG TELNO.285. HE MIGHT ALSO INDICATE THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD ENSURE
A FLOW OF UP TO 50 A DAY.
6.
IF THIS IS NOT ACCEPTED, WE COULD THEN EXPLAIN THAT UNLESS THE CHINESE THEMSELVES WERE ABLE TO BRING THE NUMBERS DOWN TO ACCEPTABLE LEVELS WITHIN TWO TO THREE MONTHS, HONG KONG WOULD BE 0BLIGED TO IMPOSE A DAILY QUOTA RESTRICTION ON THE BORDER.
7. I AM SORRY TO THROW THIS QUESTION OPEN AGAIN AT THIS LATE STAGE, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT IN MAKING THE NECESSARY APPROACH TO THE CHINESE WE DO SO IN SUCH A WAY AS TO ALLOW THEM EVERY OPPORT- UNITY TO AGREE TO A MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION WITHOUT SOURING RELATIONS WITH ULTIMATA AND THE THREAT OF UNILATERAL ACTION PRIOR TO YOUR VISIT AND OTHERS. THE CHINESE MAY BE WAITING FOR US TO SUGGEST A FORMULA ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN UNWILLING TO TAKE
MEASURES THEMSELVES.
CRADOCK
FILES
& GD (6)
SEAD
FED
23
PE/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS
FS/FUS
SER A DUFF
CORTAZZI MURRAY
COPIES TO
HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE
6 GRAFTON ST
-Za CONFIDENTIAL