34
GRS 350
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 200636Z OCT 82
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1199 OF 20 OCTOBER
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
MY TELNO 513 TO PEKING: LEGAL IMMIGRATION
067 11/341/2
REEDTRY NO.
TRY NO. VET
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
6 No
1. POLITICAL ADVISER TOOK ACTION WITH NCNA ON 19 OCTOBER, HANDING OVER A SPEAKING NOTE (TEXT IN PARA 2 OF MY TELNO 505, AMENDED AS RECOMMENDED IN PEKING TELNO 105 TO HONG KONG). HE ADDED THAT THE EMBASSY WOULD BE TAKING PARALLEL ACTION.
1
2. TAN GAN TOOK NOTE OF THE **PROPOSALS'' AND SAID THEY WOULD BE CONVEYED TO PEKING. HE REPEATED THE POINT MADE IN THE CHINESE REPLY OF 6/7 SEPTEMBER THAT THE TRADITIONAL FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT BETWEEN HONG KONG AND 'INLAND' CHINA SHOULD NOT BE SUBJECT TO RIGID RESTRICTIONS. HIS IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS THAT ONE MONTH MIGHT NOT BE LONG ENOUGH FOR VISITS. MCLAREN SAID THAT THE ARRANGEMENT WE HAD IN MIND WERE INTENDED TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE STATED WILLINGNESS OF THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO ACCEPT BACK TWO-WAY PERMIT HOLDERS WHO OVERSTAYED AND TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS MENTIONED IN THE CHINESE REPLY. WE THOUGHT THAT ONE MONTH ACTUALLY IN HONG KONG SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR THE NORMAL FAMILY VISIT. IT WOULD BE MORE DIFFICULT TO PERSUADE VISITORS TO RETURN IF THEY STAYED IN HONG KONG FOR MUCH LONGER THAN THAT.
3. NCNA ALSO ASKED WHETHER WE ENVISAGED ANY CHANGE IN THE DAILY AVERAGE OF 150 ONE-WAY AND TWO-WAY PERMIT HOLDERS AND WHETHER WE CONTEMPLATED AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBERS OF VISITORS AFTER OUR PROPOSED SIX MONTHS REVIEW. MCLAREN SAID THAT OUR MAIN CONCERN WAS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT. WE THEREFORE HOPED TO SEE A PERMANENT REDUCTION IN THE PROPORTION OFONE-WAY PERMIT HOLDERS WITHIN THE DAILY TOTAL. IF THIS WAS ACHIEVED, AND THE BULK OF VISITORS RETURNED TO CHINA VOLUNTARILY IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO CONSIDER AN INCREASE IN THEIR NUMBER IN DUE COURSE.
4. TAN UNDERTOOK TO INDICATE URGENTLY WHETHER 1 NOVEMBER WOULD BE PRACTICABLE AS THE STARTING DATE FOR A NEW SYSTEM.
YOUDE
LIMITED
HK ~GD FE D PUSD
MY O
MR GIFFARD
MA DONALD
MR URE
MTP
l
30
AP22/10
CONFIDENTIAL