CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELNO 316
OF 28094OZ FEBRUARY 90
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, HANOI
14
VIS.
HKB
RECEIVED
010546
MDLIAN 2174
243/13
'Y
17 MAR 1990
19
HONG KONG TELNO 598. VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: CHINESE ATTITUDE.
1. I CALLED ON CHEN ZIYING ON 28 FEBRUARY AND SPOKE AS SUGGESTED IN TUR ON WHICH I DREW EXTENSIVELY. I RELAYED THE GOVERNOR'S GRATITUDE FOR THE NEW CHECKS NOW BEING MOUNTED AND ASKED FOR FURTHER COOPERATION BY THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO RETURN ALL LAND-CROSSERS AND COAST-HOPPERS TO VIETNAM. I ALSO EXPLAINED THE AGREEMENT WE HAD REACHED WITH THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES, AS A RESULT OF MR. MAUDE'S RECENT VISIT TO HANOI, ON VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION AND THE PRESENT STATE OF PLAY ON NON-VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION. IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT THE PROGRESS WE WERE MAKING WAS NOT UNDERMINED BY A FAILURE ON THE PART OF THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO IMPLEMENT COMPLEMENTARY MEASURES OF THEIR OWN.
2.
CHEN TOOK CAREFUL NOTE. HE WAS GRATEFUL FOR THE INFORMATION. HE KNEW WE UNDERSTOOD THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION WHICH WAS THAT CHINA DID NOT SUPPORT THE MOVEMENT OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE TO HONG KONG. THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAD ADOPTED MANY EFFECTIVE MEASURES. THE FIGURES I HAD MENTIONED (THOSE IN PARA 7 OF TUR) BORE OUT THE FACT THAT THE CHINESE WERE, INDEED, PLAYING THEIR PART. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD NOTED THE WORK BEING DONE BY THE BRITISH SIDE TO REPATRIATE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. CHEN COMMENTED THAT HE HAD HEARD RECENTLY THAT THE UK MIGHT RECONSIDER ITS REPATRIATION PLAN.
3. I SAID THAT I HAD READ SOME JOURNALIST'S REPORT IN THE PRESS THAT BRITAIN MIGHT RECONSIDER BUT I THOUGHT THIS WAS BOTH SPECULATIVE AND INACCURATE.
4. CHEN ADDED THAT THE PRESENCE OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WOULD BE A DESTABILISING FACTOR BOTH NOW AND IN THE FUTURE IF THOSE PEOPLE REMAINED THERE. SPEEDY AND SOUND HANDLING OF THE MATTER BY THE BRITISH SIDE WAS IN THE INTEREST OF HONG KONG PEOPLE AND OF HONG KONG'S STABILITY. CHEN WAS VERY GLAD THAT JI SHAOXIANG AND THE POLITICAL ADVISER WERE COOPERATING CLOSELY. HE HOPED AND BELIEVED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD CONTINUE WITH
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CONFIDENTIAL