CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
628
137741
MDLIAN 7783
нко 24318
RECEIVE:
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2963
OF 05100OZ AUGUST 88
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, HANOI
611
PEKING TELNO 1324: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
-
AUG 1988
DURING A CALL ON THE DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER ON 4 AUGUST, LI RUOHE, NCNA, SAID THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED A REPORT FROM THE GUANGXI PROVIN- CIAL AUTHORITIES CONCERNING VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE PUTTING IN
ALONG THE COAST. LI SAID THE AUTHORITIES WERE NOW INFORMING
VIETNAMESE THAT IT WAS WRONG TO TRY TO REALISE THEIR AMBITIONS TO E MI GRATE BY ILLEGALLY LEAVING VIETNAM. THEY WERE ALSO SAYING THAT
IF THEY WENT TO HONG KONG THEY WOULD EVENTUALLY JUST BE REPATRIATED TO VIETNAM AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. HE ALSO SAID THAT GUANGXI WERE CONSIDERING HOW TO INCLUDE IN THEIR BROADCASTS TO
VIETNAM DETAILS OF THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG. CURRENTLY THEIR
BROADCASTS DEALT WITH THE VIETNAMESE SITUATION IN GENERAL AND CHIN- ESE POLICY. HE DENIED THAT THEIR BROADCASTS WERE ENCOURAGING VIETNAMESE TO LEAVE CHANOI TELNO 281 REFERS).
2. DPA THANKED LI FOR THE INFORMATION. HE SAID THAT WE WOULD UNDERSTAND IT THE CHINESE DID NOT WANT TO BROADCAST MATERIAL
PROVIDED BY US: WHAT WE REQUIRED WAS PLAIN FACTUAL REPORTING OF HONG
KONG'S NEW POLICY WHICH WOULD MAKE IT CLEAR TO ANY VIETNAMESE
CONSIDERING LEAVING THAT HONG KONG WAS NO LONGER A ROUTE TO AMERICA
AND THE WEST. LI SAID HE WOULD TAKE THIS UP WITH THE AUTHORITIES AGAIN.
3. COMMENT: THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE CHINESE HAVE TOLD US THAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING AND AS SUCH IS SIGNIFICANT. HOWEVER LI WAS CAREFUL TO QUALIFY THE GOOD NEWS BY SAYING THAT THE
AUTHORITIES COULD NOT BE SURE THAT WHAT THEY SAID WAS FULLY
APPRECIATED BY THE VIETNAMESE. NOR DID IT NECESSARILY STIP THE VIETNAMESE FROM CONTINUING TO HONG KONG.
FORD
YYYY