CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 17110OZ FCO
TELNO 1208
OF 17101OZ APRIL 89
CONFIDENTIAL
· HKD 243/21
dl
156766
MDHIAN 0944
FOR PAUL HKD FROM GOVERNOR
Ø 8
YOUR TELNOS 830/831 AND MY TELNO 1193: MESSAGE TO CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER ON VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
1. RE-READING THE TELEGRAMS OVER THE WEEKEND, I WONDER WHETHER YOU WOULD REALLY WISH TO COMMIT THE SECRETARY OF STATE SO CLEARLY AND FIRMLY TO RESOLVING THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE BEFORE 1997. APART FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S RESPONSE TO QUESTIONING IN THE HOUSE, WHICH THE CHINESE NATURALLY HAVE SEIZED UPON, OUR NORMAL LINE HAS BEEN THAT WE WISHED TO SEE THE PROBLEM RESOLVED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. BY RESOLVING THE PROBLEM BY 1997, I ASSUME THE CHINESE WILL MEAN THAT EVERY/EVERY VIETNAMESE BOAT PERSON OR REFUGEE WILL BE OUT OF HONG KONG BY 30 JUNE.
2. OF COURSE WE ALL HOPE THAT THE OBJECTIVE CAN BE ACHIEVED WELL BEFORE 1997. BUT SHOULD WE FAIL, YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR THE CHINESE TO CASH THEIR CHEQUE LATER ON BY DEMANDING THAT ANY RESIDUE SHOULD BE SETTLED IN THE UK.
3. I THINK THE POINT COULD BE AS WELL COVERED FOR THE PURPOSE OF
THIS EXERCISE BY ENDING THE SECOND SENTENCE OF THE FIRST PARA OF THE MESSAGE : ' ''.......RESOLVED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BECUASE OF THE VERY SERIOUS PROBLEMS IT WAS CAUSING HONG KONG NOW''.
WILSON
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HKD
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DISTRIBUTION
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MR MCLAREN
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CONFIDENTIAL