CONFIDENTIAL
4.
Initial indications from Legal Advisers confirm that China
is in any case on shaky legal ground in expelling Han to Hong Kong. We are letting Hong Kong have their views in an interim
reply over-night.
5. In addition to the legal arguments Hong Kong and Peking might suggest to the Chinese that their actions in expelling Han
to Hong Kong is not conducive to the improved bilateral
atmosphere for which we are jointly working. Nor is it
consistent with their oft repeated demand that HKG should not
permit people to enter Hong Kong who might seek to use it as a
base for subversion of the mainland.
6. We are asking Hong Kong for any more background information
they have on Han, (in particular what is his immigration status
in the US) in case the Chinese refuse our approaches.
We may
then need to consider whether he should return to the US.
Than
J C Morris
handongfan.min.NAT
SLM
CONFIDENTIAL