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(VII) LEGAL IMMIGRATION CANNOT BE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL (E.G. BY
MAKING SURE THAT THOSE WHO COME AS VISITORS RETURN TO CHINA AFTER
THEIR VISIT), WHILE ANY LEGAL OVERSTAYER WHO CLAIMS TO BE A
SUCCESSFUL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CAN REMAIN. SO ACTION AGAINST II'S
IS AN ESSENTIAL PRELIMINARY TO TACKLING THE PROBLEM OF LEGALS. (VIII) ALTHOUGH THE CHINESE ARE TRYING QUITE HARD TO DEAL WITH ILLEGAL EMIGRATION, THERE IS NO REASON TO SUPPOSE THAT THEY ARE
GOING TO BE MARKEDLY MORE SUCCESSFUL OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
RECENTLY SONG TOLD THE AMBASSADOR IT WAS UP TO US TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION BY CHANGING THE REACHED BASE POLICY (PEKING TELNO 412) · THIS HAS BEEN SAID BEFORE, BUT NOT AT THIS LEVEL IN THE MFA. (IX) THERE SEEMS NO PROSPECT OF DRASTIC CHANGES IN CHINESE DISCIPLINARY MEASURES. SO WE MUST EXPECT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION TO
CONTINUE UNLESS WE CAN PRODUCE A STRONG ECONOMIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL
DISINCENTIVE TO ASSIST PREVENTIVE MEASURES. DENIAL OF LEGAL WORK AND LEGAL EARNINGS TO II'S COULD THE CHINESE THE PROPAGANDA WEAPON
THEY NEED TO CUT BACK THE FLOW AT SOURCE.
GIVE
3. AGAINST THIS DEPRESSING ANALYSIS AND PARTICULARLY THE PROSPECT
OF RECESSION AND CONTINUING IMMIGRATION THE PENALTIES OF ''CHAMPION
ARE LESS IMPRESSIVE.' THOUGH THE MEASURES MAY LEAD TO FRICTION IN
THE LONG RUN, IN THE SHORT TERM FAILURE TO ACT WILL ALSO INCUR INCREASING CRITICISM AND GROWING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PENALTIES.
MOREOVER I AM LESS SURE THAN I WAS THAT THE RESTRICTIONS WE PROPOSE
WOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE AS A SEMI-PERMANENT PART OF LIFE IN HONG KONG
FOR INSTANCE THE CARRIAGE OF IDENTITY CARDS HAS BEEN COMPULSORY
OVER CONSIDERABLE RECREATIONAL AREAS FOR SOME MONTHS AND HAS CAUSED
NO TROUBLE.
4. WE ARE STILL APPREHENSIVE ABOUT THE IMPLICITIES FOR CRIME AND
CORRUPTION IF A LARGE POOL OF UNDETECTED ILLEGALS IS CREATED. ON
THE OTHER HAND, GIVEN THE PRESENT PUBLIC MOOD, THIS MAY NOT HAPPEN TO THE EXTENT WE FEARED AND ILLEGALS ARE ALREADY INCREASINGLY
ACQUIRING AN ANTI-SOCIAL AND CRIMINAL REPUTATION WHICH IS WELL-
FOUNDED.
5. I DISCUSSED THESE POINTS WITH EXCO THIS MORNING. MEMBERS AGREED THAT UNLESS THERE IS A MARKED IMPROVEMENT WE SHOULD WORK
TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING OPERATION CHAMPION BEFORE THE STEADY INFLOW AND ECONOMIC RECESSION PRODUCE INTOLERABLE CONSEQUENCES, RATHER
THAN WAIT FOR A MOMENT OF CRISIS.
6. FOR PRACTICAL REASONS WE CANNOT SPRING OPERATION CHAMPION
BEFORE MID-AUGUST AT THE EARLIEST. EXCO AGREED THAT WE SHOULD AIM TENTATIVELY AT LAUNCHING THE OPERATION IN LATE AUGUST/EARLY SEPTEMBER, WITH A FINAL DECISION ON WHETHER TO GO AHEAD TO BE TAKEN IN MID-AUGUST.
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17. WE