86
$ 990
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 2889032 FCO
DESKBY 280707Z HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 280430Z MAY 73
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
HINESS/COPY
RECEIVED IN REGAS RY
3 0 MAY 1979
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
По
J31.5
TELNO 489 OF 23 MAY
AND TO HONG KONG
See (87)
RFI HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON
மே
HONG KONG TELNOS 648 AND 652: IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA
see (100)
1. I AGREE WITH THE GOVERNOR THAT CURRENT IMMIGRATION LEVELS
ARE UNACCEPTABLY HIGH AND THAT ACTION IS NECESSARY, I ALSO
AGREE IN PRINCIPLE THAT IN DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM WE HAVE
TO ACCEPT THE POSSIBILITY OF ADVERSE CHINESE REACTIONS AND OF
TEMPORARY TENSION. IN VIEW OF THE IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAVEL
BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE THE AIR
SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE ACTION WAS TAKEN.
BUT THIS IS NOT A DECISIVE FACTOR. THE CHINESE HAVE BEEN
GIVEN FULL WARNING.OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF OUR CONCERN ABOUT
IMMIGRATION LEVELS, AND HAVE PROMISED TO TAKE ACTION. THEY
KNOW THAT WE ARE READY TO CONTEMPLATE UNILATERAL ACTION ON
OUR SIDE. AND THEY SHARE OUR INTEREST IN THE ECONOMIC WELFARE
CF HONG KONG, AND ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR PUBLIC IMAGE.
2P
AT THE SAME TIME, WHILE I FULLY APPRECIATE THE PUBLIC
CONCERN WHICH IS IMPELLING THE GOVERNOR TO BE SEEN TO DO SOMEA
THING ABOUT LEGAL IMMIGRATION IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, I WONDER IF THIS IS THE RIGHT EMPHASIS. FROM PARA 3 OF THE FIRST TUR
IT IS APPARENT THAT THE NUMBERS OF LEGAL IMMIGRANTS HAVE DROPPED
BY 800 IN EACH OF THE TWO MONTHS SINCE THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT. IF THE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO DROP AT THIS RATE, (WHICH THE DAILY FIGURES FOR THE END OF MAY SUGGEST IS THE CASE) THEY WILL BE DOWN TO ACCEPTABLE LEVELS BY THE SECOND HALF OF OCTOBER, AND. THE TOTAL FIGURES FOR JUNE-DECEMBER WOULD BE JUST OVER 21,080, AS OPPOSED TO 13,50 IF HONG KONG'S SUGGESTED PLAN WORKS SUCC-
ESSFULLY. WE WOULD THEN BE TALKING ABOUT AN IMPROVEMENT OF
AROUND 7,599, A SMALL FIGURE IN COMPARISON WITH THE OVERALL
PROBLEM.
CONFIDENTIAL
/ 3. ON THE OTHER