CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 243/8
RECEIVA
REGISTRY
1497
17
044707 MDLIAN 1956
CONFIDENTIAL FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1216
OF 120829Z JULY 88
INFO PRIORITY HONG
474
KONG
12 JUL 1988
FICER
PA
YOUR TELNO 640 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.
1.
DIST ?
I SAW JIANG ENZHU TODAY AND SPOKE ON IDENTICAL LINES AS IN HONG
(63 KONG TELNO 2593 TO YOU. I ALSO HANDED OVER TEXTS OF NOTICE GIVEN TO
NEW ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG AND OF MESSAGE FOR INCLUSION IN MAIL TO
VIETNAM (HONG KONG TELNO 2594 TO YOU).
2. IN REPLY JIANG SAID THAT FOLLOWING YOUR DISCUSSION WITH FOREIGN MINISTER QIAN AND VICE MINISTER ZHOU NAN, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED AND AGREED WITH THE NEW MEASURES AGAINST THE VIETNAMESE
BOAT PEOPLE WHICH HAD BEEN TAKEN IN HONG KONG. THE KEY TO THE SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM LAY IN ASKING THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES NOT TO LET THESE BOAT PEOPLE LEAVE AND ALSO TO AGREE TO TAKE BACK THOSE
WHO HAD GONE ILLEGALLY ELSEWHERE. THERE HAD BEEN GOOD COOPERATION WITH HONG KONG OVER THOSE FROM VIETNAM WHO HAD SETTLED DOWN IN CHINA AND WHO HAD THEN GONE ON TO HONG KONG, THE CHINESE SIDE HAD TAKEN THEM BACK AND HAD RESETTLED THEM SATISFACTORILY IN CHINA. THUS HE FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE DIFFICULTIES THE FLOOD OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE CAUSED TO HONG KONG. THE CHINESE SIDE HAD NEVER ENCOURAGED THOSE WHO CALLED ON SOUTH CHINA PORTS TO GO ON TO HONG KONG. FOLLOWING YOUR DISCUSSION WITH FOREIGN MINISTER QIAN, THE FOREIGN MINISTRY WERE TRYING TO MAKE INVESTIGATIONS ABOUT THE DEGREE OF ASSISTANCE GIVEN BY THE LOCAL PEOPLE ON THE SOUTH CHINA COAST TO THE BOAT PEOPLE. THESE INVESTIGATIONS WERE STILL GOING ON AND A FORMAL RESPONSE WOULD BE GIVEN WHEN THE INVESTIGATIONS WERE COMPLETED.
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DONALD
YYYY
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CONFIDENTIAL