CONFIDENTIAL
MKD 243/21 нко
150675
MDHOAN 9108
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 830
OF 1319OOZ APRIL 89
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA, HANOI
YOUR TELNOS 1077 AND 1143: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: COAST HOPPING
1.
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
MINISTERS ARE STILL CONSIDERING THE VARIOUS SUGGESTIONS WHICH YOU HAVE MADE. BUT WE EXPECT THEM TO ENDORSE OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT WE SHOULD ONCE AGAIN PRESS THE CHINESE TO TAKE EFFECTIVE MEASURES AGAINST COAST HOPPERS AND THAT WE SHOULD IN PARTICULAR ASK THEM TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE BOAT PEOPLE WHO LAND IN CHINA FOR A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF TIME (YOUR TELNO 1143).
2. WE HAVE ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHOULD UNDERLINE OUR CONCERNS IN A PERSONAL MESSAGE TO QIAN QICHEN. MIFT CONTAINS A DRAFT, ON WHICH WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND THOSE OF PEKING. IT TAKES UP THE PROPOSAL IN YOUR TELNO 1143, BUT NOT THE IDEA OF A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE IN CHINA (YOUR TELNO 1077) ABOUT WHICH WE WILL BE TELEGRAPHING
SEPARATELY.
3. WE ENVISAGE THAT IN HANDING TO THE MFA THE MESSAGE FOR QIAN QICHEN, PEKING WOULD REINFORCE THE POINTS IN IT, DRAWING ON THE DETAILED NOTE ABOUT ASSISTANCE RECEIVED BY RECENT ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG FROM CHINESE OFFICIALS (YOUR TELNO 58 TO PEKING).
4. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS ON WHETHER THE MESSAGE SHOULD, IN ANTICIPATION OF THE LIKELY CHINESE RESPONSE TO OUR REPRESENTATIONS, INCLUDE A PARAGRAPH EXPLAINING ONCE AGAIN THE RATIONALE BEHIND THE POLICY OF LIBERALISING THE CAMPS. WE SEE SOME MERIT IN THIS, PROVIDED WE CAN AVOID SOUNDING A TOO DEFENSIVE NOTE.
5. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE YOUR VIEWS, DESKBY 17093OZ.
HOWE
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