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CONFIDENTI AL
DSR 11C
Immigration from China into Hong Kong.
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105 The rapid commercial and industrial development of Hong Kong
relative to mainland China has long made the Colony a magnet for
migration from China. On many occasions in the first half of this
century, Hong Kong has represented a haven to Chinese seeking refuge
from disorder, civil war or Japanese occupation. According to a
census, Hong Kong's population was 849,751 in 1931. By 1941 this had
doubled to 1,639,000 of whom 984,000 were Chinese. The immigrant
population swelled to vast numbers after the Second World War. Following
communist successes in the Civil War and particularly their capture
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of Guangzhou in 1949, immigration had expanded Hong Kong's population
to an estimated 2,360,000 by the end of 1950.
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106
Such a massive influx of people created severe problems of housing,
employment, health and the provision of other community services in
Hong Kong. It was therefore decided, unilaterally by the Hong Kong
Government, to impose restrictions on 'immigration from China in May 1950.
A system of controls then operated until 1967 when Hong Kong immigration
officials were withdrawn from the border bridge at Lo Wu. Although they
returned in January 1974, it was as a token presenče rather than to
exercise any form of "control".
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107 China's attitudes towards emigration to Hong Kong. The Chinese
People's Government have always claimed that there is a traditional
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right for Chinese nationals to enter (and leave) Hong Kong. They have
held that since Hong Kong is Chinese territory, temporarily under
British administration, and not a "British territory", then no
restrictions on the movement of Chinese nationals imposed by the Hong
Kong authorities can be officially recognised. Although Hong Kong
immigration controls between 1950 and 1967 gave unofficial preference
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