CONFIDENTI AL
CRS 633
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING Ø907002 JAN 80
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 22 OF 9 JANUARY
HICK 341|1
RACEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 10 JAN1980
DESK OFFICER
PA
R.
Action
INDEX
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Aw Awali Mir is
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.
4
HONG KONG TELNOS 30 AND 42: IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA.
1. HEAD OF CHANCERY SPOKE AS SUGGESTED ON 8 JANUARY TO WANG BENZUO, DEPUTY HEAD OF WED/MFA, WANG REPLIED AT SOME LENGTH. HE REVEALED THAT ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER SONG ZHIGUANG WAS CURRENTLY IN CANTON STUDYING THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL EMIGRATION, WHICH CONTINUED TO BE OF GREAT CONCERN TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. HE ASCRIBED THE BAD DECEMBER FIGURES PARTLY TO RUMOURS ABOUT (A) THE IMMINENCE OF FRESH CHINESE MEASURES AND (B) THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS ABOUT TO ISSUE RESIDENCE CERTIFICATES WHICH WOULD MAKE MORE DIFFICULT THE POSITION OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRIVING AFTER THE DATE OF INITIAL ISSUE. HE CONFIRMED HOWEVER THAT MEASURES HAD BEEN TAKEN BY THE CHINESE FROM 1 JANUARY AND, AT A LATER POINT IN THE CONVERSATION, EXPRESSED OPTIMISM THAT THE IMPROVEMENT SEEN IN RECENT DAYS WOULD BE MAINTAINED. HE REVERTED TO THE REQUEST THAT CERTAIN NAMED RINGLEADERS MIGHT BE RETURNED TO CHINA.
2.
ACKNOWLEDGING THE IMPROVEMENT, GEORGE SAID THAT HE KNEW OF NO NEW MEASURE UNDERLYING THE RESIDENCE CERTIFICATE RUMOUR. ON HANDING OVER CRIMINALS HE SAID THAT, UNLESS SOME NEW NAMES HAD BEEN SUPPLIED, OF WHICH HE WAS UNAWARE, ONE PROBLEM HAD BEEN THAT THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES HAD BEEN UNABLE TO TRACE THOSE NAMED. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WERE HOWEVER EAGER TO CO-OPERATE IN ENSURING THE SUCCESS OF COURT PROCEDURES LEADING TO THE RETURN OF SUCH PERSONS, PARTICULARLY IN THE FIRST CASE THAT CAME TO COURT. WANG SAID THAT THE REQUEST. HAD BEEN MADE ONLY AFTER DEEP CONSIDERATION AND THAT PERSONS NAMED WERE THEMSELVES ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS: THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES HOPED THAT THEY MIGHT BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY'' (PRESUMABLY MEANING THAT THEY
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