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CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 243/8
**** 1988
024437
MDHOAN 9759
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 06010OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 1784
OF 051415Z JULY 88
AND TO DESKBY 06010OZ BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, MANILA AND TO DESKBY 060100Z JAKARTA, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
AND TO DESKBY 06080OZ UKMIS GENEVA
INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, OTTAWA, TOKYO, HANOI
HANOI TELNO 244 (NOW REPEATED TO ALL): VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN
HONG KONG: VIETNAMESE REQUEST FOR TALKS.
1. WE WILL NEED TO SUBMIT RECOMMENDATIONS URGENTLY TO MINISTERS. TO ENABLE US TO DO SO PROMPTLY WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS (AND ANY COMMENTS OTHER RECIPIENTS MAY HAVE ON THIS TELEGRAM) DESKBY 060800Z (AND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ON 6 JULY FROM UKMIS GENEVA).
2. AT OFFICIAL
LEVEL OUR VIEW IS THAT WE SHOULD ACCEPT THE OFFER OF TALKS. IT IS A WELCOME RESPONSE TO OUR REPRESENTATIONS MADE TO THE VIETNAMESE IN LONDON, HANOI AND NEW YORK (THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO CO THACH). VACILLATION WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO JUSTIFY TO THE VIETNAMESE, LET ALONE IN HONG KONG.
3.
BUT WE MUST BE AWARE THAT THE VIETNAMESE MAY SEEK TO USE ANY TALKS TO OPEN DISCUSSION ON OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST TO THEM, IN PARTICULAR AID BUT QUITE POSSIBLY ALSO BROADER POLITICAL ISSUES. INITIAL TALKS WOULD HAVE TO BE EXPLORATORY, WITH A VIEW TO IDENTIFYING THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF ANY DEAL THE VIETNAMESE MAY HAVE IN MIND INCLUDING WHAT PRICE THEY MAY WISH TO EXTRACT FROM US AS
A PART OF THE DEAL. WE WOULD NEED TO ENSURE THAT ANY SUCH TALKS DID NOT CUT ACROSS UNHCR'S DIALOGUE WITH THE
·
VIETNAMESE ON REPATRIATION. IT WOULD ALSO BE IMPORTANT THAT WE AND OTHERS WITH WHOM THE VIETNAMESE HOLD TALKS SHOULD KEEP EACH OTHER FULLY BRIEFED ON DEVELOPMENTS.
4. ON PARTICIPATION, OUR INITIAL THINKING IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE WIDER ISSUES INVOLVED OUR TEAM SHOULD BE LED FROM THE FCO, PROBABLY AT HEAD OF DEPARTMENT LEVEL. HONG KONG REPRESENTATION MIGHT (SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS) BE AT DEPUTY SECRETARY LEVEL. OUR AIM WOULD BE TO CONFIRM THE EXCHANGES AS FAR AS POSSIBLE TO PRACTICALITIES, FED AND TO AVOID GIVING THE TALKS TOO HIGH A POLITICAL PROFILE. WE SEE NO ADVANTAGE IN TAKING UP THE IMPLIED VIETNAMESE INVITATION TO FIELD THE EQUIVALENT OF A VIA FOREIGN MINISTER.
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