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HOPED THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD BE RESOLVED QUICKLY. BUT HE HOPED THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO CONTROL EVERY INDIVIDUAL IN GUANGXI.

COMMENT.

7. DESPITE GUO'S RATHER HALF-HEARTED DEFENCE OF LI HOU'S INTENTIONS, I THINK THE MESSAGE, ABOUT INJUDICIOUS REMARKS TO THE PRESS AND THE PROBLEMS THESE CAUSED, GOT THROUGH. BUT HIS COMMENTS ON LIBERALISATION AND REFUGEES WITH RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG SOUNDED A WARNING THAT WE COULD EXPECT FURTHER DIFFICULTIES WITH THE CHINESE. HIS PRELIMINARY RESPONSE TO OUR SUGGESTION THAT A TEAM VISIT GUANGXI FROM HONG KONG WAS NOT ALTOGETHER UNEXPECTED BUT HE DID APPEAR TO UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR EARLY REPATRIATION OF THE ECVIIS, AND THE FEELING OF FRUSTRATION IN HONG KONG ON THIS ISSUE.

GUO'S REMARKS ABOUT COAST HOPPING FURTHER REINFORCED MY OWN

VIEW THAT THE CENTRAL AUTHORITIES FIND GREAT DIFFICULTY IN

ENSURING THAT THEIR POLICIES ARE FOLLOWED TO THE LETTER IN DISTANT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. THEIR PROBLEMS SEEM BOTH POLITICAL AND PRACTICAL AT A TIME WHEN THE CENTRAL AUTHORITIES ARE RELAXING CONTROL OVER CITIZENS' LIVES, AND THE MOST EFFECTIVE PRESSURE MAY IN THE END HAVE TO BE EXERCISED LOCALLY THROUGH THE NCNA IN

HONG KONG.

DONALD

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MAIN

91

DISTRIBUTION

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.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK

LIMITED

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PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

PS/MR PATTEN ODA

PS MR EGGAR

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MR GILLMORE

MR SLATER

MR MCLAREN

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