L
CONFIDENTIAL
MED 2413 123 2413123
066250
MDHIAN 8024
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 988
OF 23120OZ MARCH 89
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: STATEMENT BY QIAN QICHEN
LOCAL CHINESE NEWSPAPERS INCLUDING WEN WEI PAO ACCORDED EXTENSIVE COVERAGE OF REMARKS MADE BY FOREIGN MINISTER, QIAN QICHEN, IN RESPONSE TO PRESS QUESTIONS AFTER THE NPC MEETING ON 22 MARCH. QIAN WAS REPORTED AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S VIEW WAS THAT VBP AND VRS SHOULD NOT HAVE RIGHT OF ABODE IN HK AND IT WAS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR HONG KONG TO BE A PORT OF FIRST ASYLUM.
COMMENT
IT IS DISAPPOINTING THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED SO SOON AFTER OUR SEVERAL REQUESTS FOR THE CHINESE EXERCISE RESTRAIN IN THEIR PUBLIC STATEMENTS ON THIS ISSUE. SUCH STATEMENTS AND CERTAINLY THAT ABOUT HK AS A PORT OF FIRST ASYLUM AMOUNT TO INTERFERENCE. WE SUGGEST THAT UKREP JLG SHOULD EXPRESS CONCERN AT HIS NEXT REGULAR MEETING WITH THE CHINESE.
FORD
YYYY
MAIN
96
DISTRIBUTION
102
.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
ECD (E)
FED
NEWS
PS
PAGE
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR PS/MR PATTEN ODA
PS MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
MR SLATER
MR MCLAREN
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CONFIDENTIAL