CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
нео 24318
693
014014
MDLIAN 2112
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 3152
OF 251015Z AUGUST 88
INFO PRIORITY PEKING,
WASHINGTON
£ 6 All 1988
N
S
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: US GOVERNMENT'S VIEWS
1. ON 25 AUGUST THE POLITICAL ADVISER BRIEFED JI SHAOXIANG OF NCNA ON THE HANOI TALKS ON THE SAME LINES AS THOSE REPORTED IN PEKING TELNO 1360.
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DIRECTOR
2. JI HAD JUST RETURNED FROM ACCOMPANYING XU JIATUN, OF NCNA, ON HIS VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES. JI SAID THAT DURING XU'S MEETING WITH DEPUTY SECRETARY WHITEHEAD IN WASHINGTON ON 12 AUGUST WHITEHEAD HAD TOLD XU THAT THE NEW HONG KONG POLICY ON BOAT PEOPLE WAS CAUSING CONCERN TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE ADMINISTRATION AND OUTSIDE AND THAT IN THE VIEW OF MANY IT WAS IN CONTRAVENTION OF NROMAL INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE. JI SAID THAT WHITEHEAD HAD ASKED XU TO ''USE HIS OWN INFLUENCE'' OVER THE POLICY. XU HAD REPLIED, ACCORDING TO JI, BY QUOTING THE JOINT DECLARATION ON BRITISH RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG UP TO 1997 AND SAID THAT IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR
THE CHINESE TO INTERVENE.
COMMENT
3. WE CANNOT OF COURSE BE SURE THAT THIS IS AN ACCURATE ACCOUNTE, BUT THERE IS NO CLEAR REASON WHY THE CHINESE SHOULD BE TRYING TO CREATE BAD BLOOD BETWEEN US AND THE AMERICANS. IF IT IS TRUE, IT IS VERY DISTURBING THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THIS LINE, NOT SO MUCH AS REGARDS THEIR VIEW OF THE NEW POLICY BUT BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF SENSITIVITY SHOWN ABOUT THE POSITION OF THE NCNA VIS A VIS THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT.
3. IT IS OBVIOUSLY NOT POSSIBLE TO TAKE THIS UP DIRECTLY WITH THE AMERICANS (JI PARTICULARLY ASKED THAT HIS CONFIDENCE BE RESPECTED) BUT THE EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON MAY FIND IT HELPFUL TO BE AWARE OF THIS AS BACKGROUND FOR FUTURE EXCHANGES WITH THE AMERICANS. IF THERE IS ANY COLLATERAL WE SHOULD OF COURSE BE
INTERESTED TO KNOW.
WILSON
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