XN000022-1989-06-17 — Page 6

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SATURDAY, JUNE 17, 1989

MR JOHNSON ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE CHANCES OF PROGRESS ALONG THESE LINES MAY APPEAR SLIM AT PRESENT: "THE STAKES FOR CHINA ARE, HOWEVER, VERY HIGH, AND IT IS BOTH MY HOPE AND MY BELIEF THAT IN DUE COURSE COOLER HEADS WILL PREVAIL.

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"WHEN THIS HAPPENS, HONG KONG WILL AS EVER REMAIN UNIQUELY PLACED TO SERVE BOTH CHINA AND THE REST OF THE WORLD, MR JOHNSON CONCLUDED.

HK-VIETNAM BILATERAL TALKS ON VBP REPATRIATION

VIETNAM ON

BILATERAL TALKS WILL BE HELD BETWEEN HONG KONG AND JUNE 26 ON THE SUBJECT OF REPATRIATION OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE (VBP), THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR GEOFFREY BARNES, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

"THE PRESENT INTENTION IS THAT THE POLITICAL ADVISER AND I WILL BE GOING TO HANOI FOR THAT PURPOSE, HE SAID ON HIS RETURN FROM THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INDO-CHINESE REFUGEES (ICIR) IN GENEVA.

"THIS IS QUITE A FIRM INTENTION UNLESS THERE IS LAST-MINUTE CHANGE OF PLANS FROM VIETNAM WHICH WE DON'T EXPECT."

ANY

MR BARNES SAID THE FIRST MEETING OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE THAT FOLLOWED THE ICIR WAS PROBABLY REMARKABLE FOR AT LEAST ONE STATEMENT BY VIETNAM.

"IN CLEARLY WHAT WAS A PREPARED STATEMENT, WERE FULLY PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT ANY OF ITS COUNTRY AND THEY WERE PREPARED TO HOLD BILATERAL THE PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES. HE SAID.

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"THEY ALSO SAID THAT THEY WOULD TAKE THIS AND WHAT THEY WANTED NOW WAS ACTION AND NOT WORDS.

VIETNAM SAID THEY CONTENTS WITH ANY TALKS WITH ANY OF

MATTER SERIOUSLY,

"I THINK THAT WAS QUITE AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT FROM VIETNAM; I THINK IT GIVES SOME HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.

"THE HANOI MEETING IS ONE I EXPECT TO ACHIEVE IN MORE ACTION.'

REFERRING то A REVIEW OF ALTERNATIVES TO REPATRIATION PLANNED FOR OCTOBER, MR BARNES SAID THERE WAS URGENCY IN HONG KONG TO DO SOMETHING MUCH MORE QUICKLY THAN THE YEAR.

VOLUNTARY

A GREAT LATER IN

"WE CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT AND WE'VE GOT TO GET ON WITH THE TASK OURSELVES. WE'VE MADE THIS QUITE CLEAR TO EVERYBODY, AND VIETNAM UNDERSTANDS IT: OUR AIM WITH VIETNAM WILL BE TO GET SOMETHING GOING AS SOON AS WE CAN,"

/MR BARNES