CONFIDENTIAL
2
040525
MDLIAN 2216
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO ROUTINE PEKING
TELNO 21
OF 22110OZ JANUARY 90
DESK OFFICER
AK B
RECEIVED IN
243/13
RY
2 1 FEB 1990
TOP COPY
Q DIST ?
INDEX
PA
ruction Liken
INFO ROUTINE FCO, HANOI
VIETNAMESE : BORDER CROSSERS AND COAST HOPPERS
JI
TO
1. PA CALLED IN JI SHAOXIANG OF NCNA ON 22 JANUARY. HE REMINDED THAT DURING HIS VISIT TO PEKING THE GOVERNOR HAD DISCUSSED WITH PREMIER LI PENG THE QUESTION OF VIETNAMESE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG. THE GOVERNOR HAD SAID THAT IF CHINA WERE TO DETAIN AND RETURN TO VIETNAM THOSE WHO STOPPED OFF ON THE CHINESE COAST OR WHO TRIED COME TO HONG KONG OVERLAND THROUGH CHINA THIS WOULD BE OF GREAT ASSISTANCE TO HONG KONG. LI PENG HAD SAID THAT IT WAS NOT CHINESE POLICY TO ALLOW AN INFLUX OF VIETNAMESE INTO HONG KONG. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. HE ASKED US TO PASS OVER INFORMATION ON THE ROUTES TAKEN BY THE VIETNAMESE SO THAT CHINA COULD TAKE THE APPROPRIATE MEASURES. VIETNAM
2. PA THEN HANDED OVER A PACKAGE OF INFORMATION WE HAD PREPARED IN RESPONSE TO PREMIER LI'S REQUEST. IT INCLUDED MAPS OF THE MAIN SEA AND LAND ROUTES, STATISTICS ON THE ROUTES USED BY ARRIVALS SINCE JANUARY 1989, AND DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE JOURNEYS OF THOSE WHO HAVE ARRIVED IN HONG KONG SINCE 4 NOVEMBER 1989 BOTH BY LAND AND SEA.
3. PA TOLD JI THAT OF THE 33,969 VIETNAMESE WHO HAD ARRIVED IN 1989, 99.8 PERCENT HAD COME TO HONG EITHER BY STOPPING OFF ON THE SOUTH CHINA COAST OR BY CROSSING THE SINO-VIETNAMESE BORDER AND COMING OVERLAND. THE PERCENTAGE OF VIETNAMESE ARRIVING VIA THE SINO-VIETNAMESE LAND BORDER HAD INCREASED RAPIDLY OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS. IN DECEMBER, 71 PERCENT OF THOSE ARRIVING CAME BY THIS ROUTE. SO FAR IN JANUARY (UPTO 22 JANUARY) 94.5 PERCENT HAD DONE SO. RECENT ARRIVALS HAD INFORMED US THAT THIS WAS BECAUSE THE LAND ROUTE WAS CHEAPER AND SAFER THAN GOING BY SEA. THIS TREND WAS OF GREAT CONCERN TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT.
4. PA ASKED JI TO PASS ON THE PACKAGE OF INFORMATION TO HIS GOVERNMENT SO THAT IT COULD TAKE APPROPRIATE MEASURES TO DETAIN AND RETURN TO VIETNAM BOTH THOSE STOPPING ALONG THE COAST AND THOSE COMING OVERLAND. HE UNDERTOOK TO PASS NEW INFORMATION TO THE
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