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177666
MDHIAN 2762
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FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1379
OF 251052Z AUGUST 93
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
341/2 gal
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INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG, HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA
OUR TELNO 1368:
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EX-CHINA VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (ECVIIS): HONG KONG/CHINA TALKS, CANTON, 23-24 AUGUST
SUMMARY
OUR MAIN OBJECTIVES ACHIEVED. CHINESE AGREE TO ACCEPT BACK ECVIIS IN BATCHES, IN A RAPID AND CONTINUOUS MANNER', BEGINNING WITH AROUND 100 ON 3 SEPTEMBER. VERIFICATION STILL A PREREQUISITE, BUT WILL BE SPEEDED UP. POSITIVE HONG KONG PRESS COVERAGE. IF IMPLEMENTATION PROCEEDS SMOOTHLY, MOST OF THE RECENTLY ARRIVED ECVIIS SHOULD BE BACK IN CHINA WITHIN 2-3 MONTHS. BUT FURTHER PRESSURE MAY BE NEEDED TO AVOID FOOT DRAGGING AT PROVINCIAL LEVEL.
DETAIL
2. DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER, ACCOMPANIED BY SECURITY BRANCH AND IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS, ATTENDED THE TALKS ON ECVIIS IN CANTON ON 23-24 AUGUST. THE CHINESE SIDE WAS LED Y THE DIRECTOR OF THE MINISTRY OF CIVIL AFFAIRS OFFICE FOR INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES (XU LIUGEN, WHO HAD ORGANISED THE MEETING) AND INCLUDED PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS FROM GUANGDONG, GUANGXI AND HAINAN.
3. OUR MAIN OBJECTIVES WERE TO PERSUADE THE CHINESE TO BEGIN ACCEPTING BACK WITHIN A FEW DAYS THE ALMOST 2,400 ECVIIS WHO HAD ARRIVED IN HONG KONG SINCE JUNE, AND TO AGREE ON MECHANISMS TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF THESE, AND ANY WHO SUBSEQUENTLY ARRIVE, CAN BE RETURNED RAPIDLY. THESE WERE ACHIEVED. SPECIFICALLY:
THE CHINESE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT VIRTUALLY ALL THE RECENT ECVIIS HAD COME FROM BEIHAI IN GUANGXI, AS A RESULT OF SQUATTER CLEARANCES BY
THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES:
THEY UNDERTOOK TO TAKE BACK ALL ECVIIS CONFIRMED AS HAVING BEEN
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