A Quán trả.
Or
Note for File
13/%.
HKK 341/1
CONFIDENTIAN REGISTRY NO. 51
منا
** 4 JUN1979
NCER
PA
REGISTRY
26
123
→
Immigration from China
224.6
On 6 June I gave Mr Tan of N C NA a copy (attached) of the detailed immigration statistics for May, pointing out that there was no increase in the small proportion of Chinese returning within the period of validity of their original documents.
2.
I also gave him the detailed breakdown of arrivals on travel permits in May, pointing out that over 65% of those with multiple-journey permits were given them for a period of validity of ten months or longer. This was difficult to reconcile with the argument that many people wished to come on short visits. Mr Tan was clearly taken aback by the figures and said he would seek clarification during his forth- coming duty visit to Canton and Peking. He said that many travellers had to wait for quite long periods before using their exit permits. I suggested that it would be better if fewer exit permits were issued for visitors and if the period of validity only started at a date when they expected to travel. I added that the small number of single-journey permits showed clearly that it would be possible for numbers to be brought down dramatically without denying access to Hong Kong of people who had a genuine need to join relatives here on a permanent basis.
3.
For good measure, I gave Mr Tan our latest Figures for Vietnamese refugees. I referred to the "SEN ON" which had spent three weeks in Hainan.
We
had been extremely surprised that the Chinese authorities had not informed us immediately of such a dramatic incident involving refugees from Vietnam. but did not comment.
He took note
Encls:
CC
Chancery Peking
H K & G Dept
FCO
FED
(I C Orr)
Assistant Political Adviser
7.6.79
mej:
FCO
D of I (w o encls)
D ́S B (Mr Shannon) (w ends)
CONFIDENTIAL