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CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 04120OZ FCO
TELNO 1412
OF 04111OZ MAY 89
INFO DESKBY 05010OZ PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA
Tilk Mkg, 243/22
3
036133
MDHIAN 3280
8
YOUR TELNO 392 TO PEKING AND MY TELNOS 1077 AND 1143: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: FURTHER ACTION WITH THE CHINESE
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1 IN FOLLOWING UP THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MESSAGE TO QIAN QICHEN, I BELIEVE THERE IS NOW A GOOD CASE FOR LINKING OUR PROPOSAL THAT THE CHINESE DETAIN COAST HOPPERS WITH THE IDEA OF A SOUTH CHINA HOLDING CENTRE (MY FIRST TUR). INITIALLY AT LEAST THE CHINESE ARE NOT LIKELY TO FIND THIS IDEA ATTRACTIVE. BUT IT DOES TAKE TO ITS LOGICAL CONCLUSION THE PROPOSAL THAT THEY SHOULD TREAT COAST HOPPERS COR PEOPLE WHO START THEIR JOURNEY BY CROSSING THE SINO-VIETNAMESE LAND BORDER) AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.
2. THE CONCEPT MIGHT BE PRESENTED TO THE CHINESE AS A VERY REAL AND MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS SOLVING THE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG BEFORE 1997. A CENTRE IN SOUTH CHINA WOULD RELIEVE THE PRESSURE OF CURRENT ARRIVALS ON HONG KONG. IT WOULD WE BELIEVE ALSO SEND A VERY CLEAR MESSAGE TO VIETNAM THAT THERE IS NO POINT IN TRAVELLING TO HONG KONG ALONG THE SOUTH CHINA COST IN SEARCH OF RESETTLEMENT,
3. THE DETAILS WOULD HAVE TO BE NEGOTIATED. FUNDING COULD BE THE JOINT RESPONSIBILITY OF UK/CHINA/HK. CHINA'S PRIMARY CONTRIBUTION COULD BE THE PROVISION OF A SITE. IF WE WERE TO AIM AT WIDER INTERNATIONAL FUNDING WE WOULD RUN THE RISK OF TURNING THE PROPOSAL INTO A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE IN THE ICIR CONTEXT. THIS WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY BE AN UNATTRACTIVE PROSPECT FOR THE CHINESE. HOWEVER A CENTRE TO BE USED ONLY FOR VBP WHO WERE TRYING TO REACH HONG KONG OR WHO HAD ARRIVED HERE AND BEEN SCREENED OUT, MIGHT BE A MORE VIABLE PROPOSITION.
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I UNDERSTAND THAT HMA PEKING EXPECTS TO CALL ON ZHOU NAN ON
5 MAY. GRATEFUL THEREFORE IF YOU COULD LET US AND PEKING KNOW YOUR VIEWS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
WILSON
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