XN000022-1986-11-28 — Page 8

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1986

SIR EDWARD SAID HE EMPHASISED AGAIN TO MINISTERS, ON THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE ISSUE, THE IMPORTANCE WHICH HONG KONG ATTACHED TO A STEADY RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG SO AS TO BRING THE NUMBERS DOWN.

+ THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS STILL REVIEWING ITS POLICY. BUT I WAS ASSURED THAT THEY ARE COMMITTED TO DOING WHAT THEY CAN TO HELP US OVERCOME THE DIFFICULTIES WE HAVE,+ HE SAID.

ASKED WHETHER BRITAIN WAS CONSIDERING TAKING IN MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, SIR EDWARD SAID: THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT NOW. I WAS QUITE CLEAR IN MY TALKS WITH THEM THAT WE DO ATTACH GREAT IMPORTANCE TO A CONTINUING OFFTAKE IN NUMBERS.+

HE ADDED THAT THE QUESTION OF REPATRIATION HAD BEEN RAISED. THE VIEW WAS THAT REPATRIATION MIGHT BE A LONG-TERM SOLUTION. BUT THERE WERE DIFFICULTIES, AND IN THE SHORT-TERM, RESETTLEMENT SEEMED TO BE THE ONLY PRACTICAL WAY TO GO.

+ AND THAT IS WHY I EMPHASISED TO MINISTERS THE IMPORTANCE OF A REGULAR OFFTAKE, THE GOVERNOR SAID.

ASKED WHETHER THERE WAS ANY INDICATION THAT BRITAIN WOULD TAKE IN MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, SIR EDWARD SAID MINISTERS HAD TOLD HIM THAT THE UK WOULD BE WORKING WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO SEE WHAT MORE FUNDAMENTAL SOLUTIONS MIGHT BE FOUND.

ON DEFENCE COSTS, SIR EDWARD SAID THE TALKS WERE MAINLY PRELIMINARY BECAUSE THE NEGOTIATIONS WOULD NOT START UNTIL THE SPRING, BUT WE WOULD TRY TO COMPLETE THEM BY THE END OF 1987, HE SAID.

THE TALKS WOULD OF COURSE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ANY CHANGE S WHICH MIGHT BE MADE IN THE GARRISON BETWEEN 1987 AND 1997. BUT NO DECISIONS HAD BEEN TAKEN ON THAT AS YET, HE ADDED.

ON NEXT YEAR'S POLITICAL REVIEW, THE GOVERNOR SAID HE HAD EXPLAINED TO MINISTERS THAT THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A WIDE RANGE OF OPINIONS STILL BEING EXPRESSED IN HONG KONG.

EVERYONE AGREED THAT IT WOULD BE PREMATURE TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS AT THIS STAGE AS TO WHAT CHANGES MIGHT BE MADE IN 1988.

ASKED WHETHER HE HAD CONSULTED MINISTERS ON THE QUESTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS, SIR EDWARD SAID THAT THEY HAD A LONG DISCUSSION ON THE STATE OF OPINION ON THAT SUBJECT AND HE HAD DESCRIBED TO MINISTERS THE VARYING VIEWS WHICH WERE BEING EXPRESSED IN HONG KONG.

/+AS I