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MDHIAN 9146
4.
CHEN GUOPING SAID THAT THIS MATTER HAD ALREADY BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT. HE THOUGHT THE NUMBER OF POTENTIAL ARRIVALS REPORTED IN THE NEWSPAPERS WAS EXAGGERATED. IT WAS TRUE THAT THE BEIHAI GOVERNMENT HAD PUT OUT AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT ILLEGAL STRUCTURES WOULD BE DEMOLISHED. THOSE IN THEM CAME FROM OTHER PARTS OF GUANGXI, FROM HANIAN AND FROM YUNNAN. CHEN SAID THAT HE HOPED THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE US A QUICK AND SATISFACTORY ANSWER. BORDER CONTROLS HAD ALREADY BEEN STRENGTHENED. HE THOUGHT CHINA WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP US TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. HE UNDERTOOK TO REPORT OUR PROPOSALS URGENTLY TO PEKING. (COPY OF EHRMAN'S SPEAKING NOTE, WHICH HE GAVE TO CHEN, IS BEING FAXED TO YOU AND PEKING.)
5. WE HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY PUBLICISED THIS CALL, STATING THAT WE HAVE ASKED CHINA TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE EARLY RETURN OF THE MORE THAN 500 ECVIIS WHO HAVE ARRIVED IN HONG KONG DURING THE PAST MONTH, ALL OF WHOM HAVE BEEN SETTLED IN CHINA FOR MANY YEARS.
COMMENT
6.
A NOT ALTOGETHER DISCOURAGING RESPONSE FROM CHEN WHO SEEMED TO APPRECIATE THE NEED FOR EARLY MEASURES TO RETURN THE ECVIIS. WE WILL KEEP UP THE PRESSURE.
PATTEN
YYYY
MAIN
119
.VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS IN HK
SEAD
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
INFO D
ECD (E)
FED
HKD
HRPD
NAD
NEWS D
DISTRIBUTION
126
PAGE
PS
PS/BARONESS CHALKER
PS/MR GOODLAD
PS/MR HOGG
PS/PUS
SIR J COLES
MR MASEFIELD
MR AINSCOW
MR HUM
MR BONE
MR MUIR
2
CONFIDENTIAL