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MOLIAN 4242.
OPENING OF THE FESTIVAL OF CANADA IN HONG KONG WITH A DONATION OF A 38-FOOT TOTEM POLE WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY STAND IN KOWLOON PARK. THE FESTIVAL PROPER WILL RUN FROM 18 JUNE TO 1 JULY AND WILL INCLUDE CULTURAL PERFORMANCES, EXHIBITIONS, TRADE SEMINARS. A RETURN HONG KONG FESTIVAL IN CANADA WILL BE ORGANISED IN 1992.
5. MY OWN TALKS WITH MR MULRONEY CONCENTRATED ON RELATIONS WITH CHINA AND VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS. MR MULRONEY ASKED ABOUT PROGRESS IN OUR TALKS WITH THE CHINESE ON THE AIRPORT. HE SAID IN TERMS THAT HE HAD PLANNED HIS VISIT AS A SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR HONG KONG THE LIGHT OF CONCERNS ABOUT 1997. HE ASKED IF I WOULD SEE ANY VALUE IN HONG KONG BEING REFERRED TO IN THE FINAL COMMUNIQUE OF
THE G7 MEETING IN LONDON IN JULY. THIS MIGHT HELP TO BUILD CONFIDENCE AND SEND A SIGNAL TO THE CHINESE THAT THEY SHOULD RESPECT BOTH THE SPIRIT AND THE LETTER OF THE JOINT DECLARATION. I TOLD HIM THAT A DISCUSSION AT THE G7 MEETING WOULD BE HELPFUL, BUT PUBLIC STATEMENTS SHOULD BE AVOIDED. THEY WOULD BE LIKELY TO PRODUCE A HOSTILE RESPONSE FROM THE CHINESE AND DO MORE HARM THEN GOOD. THE BEST APPROACH WAS, AS CANADA HAD DONE IN THE PAST, TO SPEAK PRIVATELY TO THE CHINESE ABOUT ECONOMIC INVOLVEMENT IN HONG KONG, INTEREST IN THE JOINT DECLARATION (JD) BEING CARRIED OUT AND THE IMPORTANCE THAT BUSINESS INTERESTS ATTACHED TO THE
AUTONOMY ELEMENTS OF THE J.D..
6.
ON THE VIETNAMESE ISSUE, MR MULRONEY SAID THAT HE PERSONALLY FOUND THE CONCEPT OF INVOLUNTARY REPATRIATION UNPLEASANT. HE BELIEVED THAT THE ANSWER TO THE VM PROBLEM WAS FOR INDUSTRIALISED COUNTRIES TO TAKE MORE REFUGEES. BUT HE WOULD MAKE IT CLEAR IN HIS PUBLIC STATEMENTS IT WAS NOT FOR HIM TO LECTURE ON THE
MORALITY ON THE ISSUE: THAT HE RECOGNISED THE BURDEN THAT WAS BEING BORNE BY HONG KONG : AND THAT ALL COUNTRIES, INCLUDING CANADA, DEPORTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. CANADA WOULD DO WHAT IT
COULD TO HELP.
7.
I THANKED HIM FOR CANADA'S PAST GENEROSITY IN TAKING REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG AND EXPLAINED THE MAJOR PROBLEMS THAT WE WERE FACING IN 1991. IF THE INFLUX CONTINUED, WE WOULD BE UNDER GREAT PRESSURE TO END FIRST ASYLUM. WE COULD NOT CONTINUE TO LOOK
AFTER PEOPLE WHO WERE REAL REFUGEES UNLESS A WAY WAS FOUND TO DEAL WITH THOSE WHO WERE NOT. IF WE COULD REPATRIATE TO VIETNAM ANEW ARRIVALS WHO WERE SCREENED OUT, THIS WOULD STOP THE FLOW AND WE COULD DEAL WITH THE POPULATION IN OUR DETENTION CENTRES IN SLOWER TIME. THERE WAS A DANGER IN SIMPLY SAYING THAT MORE
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