CONFIDENTIAL
MR BLAKER'S MEETING WITH SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE: 11.30 am FRIDAY 11 JANUARY
BRIEF NO.2: IMMIGRATION
(i) Legal Immigration from China
1. The Hong Kong Government do not impose any controls on immi-
grants arriving legally from China, in deference to the Chinese
view that their citizens have a traditional right of free movement
to Hong Kong. It has however been made clear to the Chinese
authorities that we hope the numbers can be kept to a level where
they will do no more than balance the numbers leaving Hong Kong to
settle elsewhere i.e. around 50 a day. For three years up to
1977 this level was maintained, but during the second half of 1978
the numbers rose steeply to over 300 a day. In response to urgent
representations in London, Peking and Hong Kong, the Chinese agreed
to reduce the influx, and by mid-1979 it was down to 150 a day. It
has not however fallen any lower, and there are indications that the
Chinese regard 150 a day as reasonable, despite the assurances they
have given that they will try to bring it down further.
2. While the problem of legal immigrants is nothing like as serious
as that of illegals, it does add to Hong Kong's overall problem.
Mr Blaker may wish to discuss the options for us on the following
lines:
(a) Are the Chinese likely to bring the level substantially below
150 per day on their own?
(b), the imposition of controls by Hong Kong unilaterally on legal
immigration would probably not help. It would irritate the
the Chinese and might affect their attitude on illegals;
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CONFIDENTIAL
/(c)