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NOTES FOR SUPPLEMENTARIES : DEFENSIVE (IN THE EVENT OF INTERRUPTIONS
TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S SPEECH)
JOINT LIAISON GROUP
Does the Governor's visit to London (22-24 April) indicate a
over composition of the Joint Liaison Group?
1.
crisis
No. The visit was for normal consultations with Ministers.
discussed but this was not the purpose of
Joint Liaison Group was
The
the visit.
Will the Governor be a member of the Group?
2.
Composition of the Group will be announced in due course.
Will Unofficials/Hong Kong Chinese serve on Joint Liaison Group?
3. Inappropriate for Unofficials to take part in what will be a
diplomatic body. But Hong Kong Government officials will certainly
be included.
Hong Kong Chinese officials?
Hong Kong officials will increasingly be local Chinese. Have no
doubt they will make full contribution to work of JLG.
4.
Do you need Chinese agreement to British delegation to Group?
We are discussing practical arrangements for establishment of
Joint Liaison Group with the Chinese. Composition will be announced
in due course.
5.
SUB-COMMITTEE ON RACE RELATIONS AND IMMIGRATION (SCORRI) REPORT ON
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
6.
We are urgently considering the Sub-Committee's recommendations
and will give our response to the House as soon as possible. As my hon Friend, the Minister of State, made clear in his oral evidence
to the Sub-Committee on 4 February, neither we nor the Hong Kong
Government consider its satisfactory or desirable that refugees
should have to remain for long periods in camps, either open or
closed, and our objective remains to secure a durable solution as
fast
as possible.
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