AFIDENTIAL
OPS 23O
FM PERING 210732Z JUNE 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
CONFIDENTIAL.
TELEGRAM NUMBER 578 OF 21 JUNE 79
$36.
HKK 341/1.
1/13
34
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"આમ.. 2 1 JUN:979
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
IMMIGRATION
тор вору
1. I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY OF MY INTERVIEW WITH WANG BENZOU (MY TELNO 577) TO REMIND HIM OF THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE AND TO INFORM HIM OF THE DECISION TO REINFORCE THE HONG KONG GARRISON (YOUR TELNO 419 TO HONG KONG). I EXPLAINED THAT THESE WERE MEASURES TAKEN TO DEAL WITH AN ACUTE PROBLEM ON WHICH WE HAD
ALREADY SPOKEN MANY TIMES. I UNDERSTOOD THAT THE CHINESE ON see 136A
THEIR SIDE WERE ALSO TAKING MEASURES,
2. WANG REITERATED THAT THE CHINESE HAD NO INTENTION TO INCREASE HONG KONG'S DIFFICULTIES. THEY HAD IN THE PAST CONTINUOUSLY
THEY HAD RECENTLY TAKEN STERNER MEASURES. THE TAKEN MEASURES. FIGURES FOR ILLEGALS CAPTURED, BOTH..IN AN ATTEMPT TO ENTER HONG KONG AND REPATRIATED FROM HONG KONG, HAD NOW BEEN REDUCED. THE AVERAGE NUMBER WAS 230 A DAY, AS REGARDS LEGALS, THE FIGURES HAD DROPPED AND WOULD BE GOING DOWN. THE CHINESE CONSIDERED THEY HAD ACHIEVED INITIAL SUCCESS AND THAT THE
SITUATION WOULD BE FURTHER IMPROVED.
3. 1 THANKED HIM FOR THIS REASSURANCE AND REMINDED HIM OF THE SERIOUS NATURE OF HONG KONG'S PROBLEM, FACED WITH TWO STREAMS OF IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES, FROM VIETNAM AS WELL AS FROM CHINA. I AGREED WE WERE MAKING A LITTLE PROGRESS BUT
WE HAD A LONG WAY TO GO. 203 ILLEGALS A DAY TAKEN MEANT
PERHAPS 400 A DAY GETTING THROUGH,
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CONFIDENTIAL
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