GRS 190
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 0307002 FEB 82
TO PRIORITY FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
TELEGRAM NUMBER 86 OF 3 FEBRUARY
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA
Hikk 341/5
FA
412 / A84/2
INFO SAVING WASHINGTON BANGKOK KUALA LUMPUR MANILA JAKARTA
NKK 3411249) 1981
MYTELNO 1675 (OF 1981)1 EX-CHINA VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.
1. NCNA TOLD US ON 22 JANUARY THAT THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WERE PREPARED TO TAKE BACK 2,290 OF THE 2,522 PEOPLE WHOSE DETAILS HAD BEEN PASSED TO THEM. THEY ASKED FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE REMAINDER WHO THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO TRACE. THIS WILL BE PROVIDED IN DUE COURSE.
2. WE ARE NOW DISCUSSING ARRANGEMENTS FOR REPATRIATION WITH NCNA. WE HOPE TO COMPLETE THE OPERATION BY THE END OF THIS MONTH. ALLOWING FOR RECENT BIRTHS IN HONG KONG, THE NUMBER RETURNED TO CHINA WILL BE HIGHER THAN 2,298.
3. AS ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS WE WILL NOT PUBLICISE THE REPATRIATION BUT WILL CONFIRM IN RESPONSE TO ENQUIRIES THAT ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN AGREED WITH THE CHINESE TO RETURN TO CHINA MOST OF THE EX-CHINA REFUGEES NOW IN HONG KONG.
4. THERE ARE CURRENTLY 3,124 EX-CHINA CASES HERE. DETAILS OF THE RECENT ARRIVALS WILL BE PASSED TO NCNA IN THE USUAL WAY.
5. WE HAVE ASKED NCNA TO CONVEY OUR THANKS TO THE APPROPRIATE CHINESE AUTHORITIES FOR THEIR COOPERATION. PEKING MAY WISH TO TAKE A SUITABLE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK SIMILARLY TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
FCO PLEASE SAVING TO ALL
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
MACLEHOSE
LIMITED
HK&GD
SEAD
FED
MR DONALD
CONFIDENTIAL
See