UNNIDEN ITAL
4.
oportion of UNHCR funds spent in Asia.
I must confess to being rather sceptical about the seriousness of Chinese interest in the Convention. If she were to consider acceding, I am certain that she would wish to enter some form of reservation to ensure that people leaving China for Hong Kong were somehov excluded. Whether this could be done is another matter. I think it also fairly likely that China would seek to exclude from treatment as refugees Chinese nationals claiming political asylum while in third countries. I remember hearing last year of a case which caused considerable embarrassment to UNHCR when a Chinese Government sponsored student in Belgium was accepted by the UNHCR office in Brussels as a refugee. It appeared, incidentally, that the Belgian Government had entrusted to the local UNHCR office the responsibility for determining the status of people claiming to be refugees (which seems a little difficult to believe). Anyway, there were some pretty vigorous representations by the Chinese. I think this story was told me in confidence by Casella and should be grateful if you would please protect.
We should be grateful for any further comments which you or Bob Peirce can provide on the Chinese attitude.
5.
cc P Morrice Esq
HK&GD FCO
I W Mackley Esq UND FCO
RP Flower Esq
SEAD FCO
RN Peirce Esq (w/enc) PEKING
RP Margolis Esq (w/enc) PARIS
(I C Orr)
CONFIDENTIAL
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