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CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
N27/1 ерного
TO TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER 020/393/6B
OF 250852Z JANUARY 89
AND TO TELELETTER HONG KONG
нко
CONFIDENTIAL HKD 243/S027755
PLEAS@2 FEB 1989.
FED
INL
MDTTAN 0656
SEAD
1
FROM
TELELETTER
FOLLOWING FOR COPIED TO:
CORES M
A.J. PYNE, PEKING
020/393/6B OF 25 JANUARY 1989
C.T. WOOD, H K D, F CO
R.A.J. BUNTEN, APA (G), HONG KONG SEAD, F C O
FED, F CO
Mr Mcharcu
may
wish to
glance
No 29%,
ECVIIS.
1.
AT A DINNER FOR SIR ALAN DONALD HOSTED BY CUI NAIFU, MINISTER FOR CIVIL AFFAIRS, ON 23 JANUARY, I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK OVER THE ECVII PROBLEM WITH XU LIUGEN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF RECEPTION AND SETTLEMENT OF INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES UNDER THE MINISTRY. XU IS A MFA CADRE WHO WENT ON LOAN TO THE MINISTRY OF CIVIL AFFAIRS SOME 15 MONTHS AGO AND SPEAKS EXCELLENT ENGLISH: HIS EXPERTISE PRESUMABLY COMES IN HANDY FOR DEALINGS WITH INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES.
2.
XU WAS DEFENSIVE, ARGUING THAT CHINA HAD ALREADY DONE A GREAT DEAL TO RESETTLE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. HE FELT THAT THE PROBLEMS FACED BY HONG KONG NOW WERE LARGELY OF HONG KONG'S OWN MAKING. PULL FACTORS FAR OUTWEIGHED PUSH FACTORS: MANY VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN GUANGXI AND GUANGDON COULD TUNE INTO HONG KONG RADIO STATIONS AND LEARN ABOUT LIBERALISATION OF THE CLOSED CAMPS. THEY COULD ALSO LEARN ABOUT THE LABOUR SHORTAGE FACED BY HONG KONG, IN PARTICULAR ABOUT THE PRESSURE EXERTED BY VARIOUS INDUSTRIES ON GOVERNMENT TO RELAX CONTROLS AND ALLOW GUEST WORKERS TO ENTER THE TERRITORY. VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WERE, FOR THE MOST PART, POORLY EDUCATED, NOT WELL VERSED IN EITHER CANTONESE OR ENGLISH, AND HENCE SUSCEPTIBLE TO MANIPULATION BY THE UNSCRUPULOUS, OR AT LEAST INCLINED TO BELIEVE WHAT THEY WANTED TO BELIEVE.
3. XU ALSO BUTTONHOLED ALYSON BAILES AT THE DINNER ON SIMILAR LINES. HE CLAIMED HE KNEW THE SITUATION IN GUANGXI AND GUANGDONG VERY WELL AND WOULD BE TRAVELLING THERE AGAIN SHORTLY TO DEAL WITH THE RETURN OF THE LATEST BATCH OF ECVIIS. HE FELT A VISIT
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CONFIDENTIAL