4.

CONFIDENTIAL

ZHENG DID NOT REVERT TO THIS ON 19 OCTOBER. WHEN ASKED. HE CONFIRMED THE ABOVE, BUT SAID THAT FORMAL

NOTIFICATION WAS STILL UNDER PREPARATION AND WOULD BE FORTHCOMING SHORTLY. HE THEN WENT ON TO MENTION THAT COMPLAINTS HAD BEEN RECEIVED FROM TOURIST ORGANISATIONS ARRANGING TRIPS FOR OVERSEAS CHINESE FROM THE UNITED STATES THAT MEMBERS OF SOME GROUPS

HAD BEEN TURNED BACK AT THE BORDER ON THEIR DEPARTURE FROM CHINA

SULLIVAN ALTHOUGH THEY HAD VALID VISAS FOR RETURN TO THE US. EXPRESSED SURPRISE AND ASKED FOR CHAPTER AND VERSE WHICH WAS NOT READILY AVAILABLE. ZHENG WILL BE IN TOUCH AGAIN.

5.

ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ZHENG REITERATED THAT THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US. HE REGRETTED THE INCREASE AND THE FAILURE OF CURRENT MEASURES TO PREVENT IT, AND GAVE AN ASSURANCE THAT MORE WOULD BE DONE.

HE THOUGHT IT POSSIBLE THAT

THE INCREASED NUMBER OF PEOPLE LEAVING BY BOAT HAD FOUND A LOOPHOLE THAT WAS MORE DIFFICULT TO CLOSE.

THE CHINESE SIDE

WERE CRATEFUL FOR THE DETAILED INFORMATION THAT WAS BEING PASSED TO THEM ON METHODS OF ENTRY AND AREAS OF ORIGIN OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. CHINA APPRECIATED HONG KONG'S DIFFICULTIES AND HAD NO INTENTION TO AGGRAVATE THEM,

CRADOCK

FILES

HA-GD

FED

Puss

MIL COORALSI

MA.

MURRAY

COPIES TO:

HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE Hong Kong

LONDON

2.

CONFIDENTIAL

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