XN000022-1987-04-03 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 1987

THE PROPOSAL FOR SCREENING WAS MADE SOME TIME AGO AND THE PROPOSAL FOR REPATRIATION WAS ONE WHICH IS STILL ON THE CARDS+, HE SAID.

ASKED HOW LONG THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD NEED TO WORK OUT THE REPATRIATION OF REFUGEES, MR FORD SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS RELYING ON OTHER COUNTRIES MAKING AN APPROACH TO VIETNAM.

+OBVIOUSLY SOME OF THE COUNTRIES WHO ARE PRESENTLY RECEIVING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ARE INTERESTED ON AN INTERNATIONAL BASIS IN RESOLVING THE PROBLEM,+ HE SAID.

MR FORD SAID THAT THE SITUATION HAD MOVED A VERY LONG WAY SINCE THE UNHCR CONFERENCE IN GENEVA IN 1979, WHICH SET UP THE ORIGINAL PLAN FOR THE COUNTRIES OF FIRST ASYLUM AND RESETTLEMENT.

+OBVIOUSLY IN TERMS OF THE INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE WHICH WOULD NEED TO BE MOUNTED IS SOMETHING WHICH HAS TO BE PUT TOGETHER,+ HE ADDED.

MR FORD DESCRIBED HIS FIRST TRIP TO SHENZHEN AS USEFUL, PLEASANT AND INSTRUCTIVE.

HE SAID HE SAW THE PORT DEVELOPMENT AND SOME MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY THERE, ADDING THAT THE DEVELOPMENT IN SHENZHEN AFTER SIX YEARS OF TURNING ITSELF FROM A VILLAGE INTO A CITY OF HALF A MILLION PEOPLE HAD BEEN IMPRESSIVE.

HE ADDED THAT HE HAD LUNCH WITH THE MAYOR AND THEY HAD AN + INTERESTING+ DISCUSSION OF HONG KONG'S RECENT DEVELOPMENT.

+ I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO LOOK AT THE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE BORDER AND HONG KONG AND INDEED IN THE DELTA ALTOGETHER, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE NEED FOR LIAISON ON STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT, ON LINKS IN TERMS OF ROAD LINKS AND RAILINGS AND THE IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE AND HOW WE MIGHT IMPROVE THOSE IN THE FUTURE,+ MR FORD SAID.

HE SAID THEY HAD ALSO AGREED THAT IT WOULD BE USEFUL IF THE TWO SIDES STRENGTHENED THE PLANNING LINKS IN FUTURE REGUL AR MEETINGS, ADDING THAT DETAILS WOULD BE DISCUSSED AT A LATER DATE,

ASKED WHETHER THE SUBJECT OF AIRPORTS HAD BEEN RAISED IN THEIR DISCUSSION, MR FORD SAID HE HAD BRIEFED THE SHENZHEN MAYOR, MR LI HAO, ON HONG KONG'S CURRENT THINKING ON THE AIRPORT AND WAS TOLD ABOUT CHINA'S HOPES FOR AN AIRPORT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BORDER.

+WE OBVIOUSLY AGREED THAT WHEN THE TIME CAME FOR DECISIONS THERE MUST BE TALKS BETWEEN US ON HOW THE BEST DEVELOPMENT COULD HAPPEN, + HE SAID.

/MR FORD