6
clearly implicit in the reply that the Chinese Foreign Minister gave to
a question about Hong Kong that was raised during his press conference
in London on 2 November when he said:
'The lease is due to expire in 1997. So there is still time.
The basic attitude of the Chinese Government in this matter
is that when the time comes for resolution, we will take into
consideration the interests of investors, so that their
甲
interests will not but hurt. This came up in the talks yester-
day and both sides agreed to keep in contact on this matter.
Immigration from China
18.
This is a major preoccupation of the Hong Kong Government at the
moment. Over 280,000 immigrants have arrived altogether in the past two
years a 6% increase in the population. Many of them arrive legally:
the Hong Kong Government at present impose no controls over those whom
the Chinese permit to travel to Hong Kong. But they have made it known
that they would like the numbers kept down to about 50 a day. In the
second half of 1978, as a result of liberalisation in China and the
greater freedom of movement that went with it, the daily average rose to
over 300. In response to our representations, the Chinese have brought
the figure down to around 160, but have so far been unwilling or unable
to bring it any lower.
19.
The Chinese authorities do seem to share our concern to prevent
llegal immigrants from crossing the border into Hong Kong. This problem
reached a critical level in December, with over 500 people a day being
arrested at the border and returned, and at least as many again reckoned to be evading arrest and entering Hong Kong. At the beginning of
January, however, the Chinese Government introduced new measures of con-
trol (as Chairman Hua had promised Mrs Thatcher in November would be
done), and the figures so far in January are substantially lower. On the
Hong Kong side, the garrison has been temporarily reinforced to enable
it to cope with the increased burden of border control.
Anglo-Hong Kong Relations
20. It is the British Government's policy to promote and protect Hong
Kong's international interests, but not to intervene in the internal
government of Hong Kong. If questioned on Hong Kong's internal affairs,
we seek the advice of the Hong Kong Government on how to reply and almost invariably defend their policies.
/21.