Dear Mr Irving,
24
November 1993
Thank you for your letter of the 12th November 1993, which I received and formally acknowledged on the 17th.
Whilst I can understand your surprise at the size of the Chinese community in Plymouth, I am frankly appalled at what I can only describe as your racist attitude. I know some of the members of the Chinese community in Plymouth. They are extremely hard working and law abiding and contribute to the community and do not act as a drag on it.
So far as the Hong Kong Chinese in general are concerned, it is already recognised that we cannot have an open door for all of them just on the basis of numbers. I will ask a Minister at the Foreign Office to explain what the situation is in that regard.
L J Irving, Esq., 29 Admiralty Street, Stonehouse,
Plymouth, Devon
PL1 3RX
Letnl.23n.31
Yours sincerely,