ISIA
GRS 180
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 069308Z JUL 79
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 620 OF 6 JULY
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG.
IMMIGRATION.
1.
HICK 341/1
2
COPY
212-7
WHEN I SAW SONG ON 5 JULY 1 TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND HIM THAT ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF ILLEGALS WAS FALLING SATISFACTORILY, THE NUMBER OF LEGAL ENTRANTS HAD NOT CONTINUED TO DROP OVER THE LAST TWO TO THREE WEEKS. THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES CONSIDERED THE CURRENT NUMBERS FOR LEGALS, 1.E. DAILY AVERAGE OF 171, AS STILL MUCH GREATER THANGMHEY COULD COPE WITH.
2.0
SONG SAID THE CHINESE WOULD CONTINUE TO TAKE FURTHER MEASURES AGAINS ILLEGALS. THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE A AND THE SITUATION WOULD FURTHER EASE. AS REGARDS LEGALS, THE CHINESE WOULD TAKE FURTHER MEASURES TO CAUSE THE NUMBERS TO FALL, HE REFERRED TO THE TRADITION OF FREE MOVEMENT TO AND FRO BETWEEN QUANGDONG AND HONG KONG, I REMINED HIM THAT AT THE MOMENT IT WAS VIRTUALLY ONE WAY TRAFFIC.
WE WOULD BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS WITH THE CHINESE WAYS OF ALLOWING GENUINE VISITS WHEN THE NUMBERS OF LEAGL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HAD BEEN BROUGHT DOWN TO ACCEPTABLE LIMITS.
3. I LEFT WITH HIM A NOTE ON THE LATEST FIGURES FOR ILLEGALS AN LEGALS.
>
CRADOCK
FILES
HK & GD
MVD
OPA
MR CORTAZZI
MR MURRAY
CONFIDENTIAL