TNAG-0557-FCO40-652-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-into-othe-1975 — Page 47

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GRS 250

IMMEDIATE

CYPHER CAT/A

FM HONG KONG 2108552

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DESKBY PEKING 211030%

TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 506 OF 21 MAY INFO IMMEDIATE CANBERRA, PEKING, ROUTINE SINGAPORE (SAIGON UNIT) AND UKMIS NEW YORK.

YOUR TELEGRAM NO 4031 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

SUBJECT TO PEKING'S VIEWS I THINK THE CHINESE ARE LIKELY TO TAKE A PRAGMATIC VIEW. SITUATION WOULD ONLY BE DANGEROUS IF ANY

U.N. OPERATIONS RELATING TO HONG KONG APPEARED TO CHALLENGE THEIR

PUBLIC POSITION ON THE STATUS OF HONG KONG 1.E. THAT IT IS PART OF CHINESE TERRITORY TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED BY THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES.

2. IN PRACTICE, IF UNHCR OFFICIALS WERE SEEN TO OPERATE FROM A BASE IN HONG KONG, CHINESE MIGHT WELL FEAR THAT THE UNHCR MIGHT RE-ESTABLISH A PERMANENT FOOTHOLD AND TURN HIS ATTENTION TO CHINESE AS WELL AS VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. THERE WAS A RUMOUR, WHICH HAS NOT MATERIALISED, THAT THE HIGH COMMISSIONER HIMSELF MIGHT BE COMING TO HONG KONG.

3. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF THE UNHCR WERE TO OPERATE THROUGH ICEM, WHICH HAS BEEN KEEPING A WATCHING BRIEF FOR THEM SINCE THEY WITHDREW THEIR HONG KONG OFFICE IN 1972, THEN THE RISK OF CHINESE DISAPPROVAL WOULD PROBABLY BE SLIGHT.

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