GRS 295
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 241102Z JAN 79
TO PRIORITY F C O
HKK 341/1
(/ BJ.
CONFIDENTIAL,
2 6 JANIS
No
TELEGRAM NUMBER 169 OF 24 JANUARY
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA. INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
8) HKK
245/1
MY TELNO 11 TO PEKING (NOT TO ALL): ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM
CHINA ORIGINALLY FROM VIETNAM.
RY
CLS
1. US CONSULATE-GENERAL HAVE TOLD US THAT THEY ARE RECOMMENDING
TO WASHINGTON THAT THE AMERICANS SHOULD RAISE WITH DENG XIAOPING'S PARTY THE PROBLEM OF OVERSEAS CHINESE FROM VIETNAM WHO HAVE SETTLA IN CHINA COMING ON TO HONG KONG IN SMALL BOATS. IF YOU AND PEKING AGREE, WE THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WASHINGTON COULD
REINFORCE THIS ADVICE.
2. FOR WASHINGTON'S INFORMATION, WE NOW HAVE A TOTAL OF 2,753
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA WHO HAVE ARRIVED SINCE 9 NOVEMBER
IN SMALL BOATS. WE ARE REASONABLY CONVINCED THAT ALL CAME AFTER · BEING SETTLED FOR SOME PERIOD IN CHINA. WE ARE ALREADY DISCUSSING THE POSSIBILITY OF RETURNING THESE PEOPLE TO CHINA WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES. THEY HAVE ASKED FOR EVIDENCE THAT THOSE CONCERNED WERE SETTLED IN CHINA. UNFORTUNATELY, FIRM EVIDENCE IS HARD TO FIND. RECENT ARRIVALS HAVE GONE TO GREAT LENGTHS TO DESTROY IT. WE ARE GIVING THE CHINESE SOME EVIDENCE ON A TOTAL OF 648. WE HOPE THIS WILL LEAD TO THE RETURN OF AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER SUT WE ARE PESSIMISTIC ABOUT BEING ABLE TO RETURN ALL WHO ARE NOW ARRIVING. THE ONLY HOPE IS TO CUT OFF THE SUPPLY AT SOURCE
3. THE AMERICAN INTEREST, APART FROM A GENERAL CONCERN FOR REFUGEE PROBLEMS, IS THAT IF THEY ARE ASKED TO RESETTLE
LARGE
CONFIDENTIAL