TNAG-0743-FCO40-947-Relations-between-China-and-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 262

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CONFIDENTIAL

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0727

Abd. Har GB (Files (5x),

Hol. FED,

Ps /nd. Gormwy- Roberts,

Mr. Cortazzi,

An Mhurray.

TO PRIORITY F.C.O TELNO.1157 OF 3 OCTOBER 78,

INFO PEKING.

FOR HONG KONG AND GENERAL DEPARTMENT.

[sic 17301]

YOUR TELNO.723/: BRIEFING FOR SECRETARY OF STATE ON IMMIGRATION.

1. WE AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO MENTION IMMIGRATION PROBLEMS TO HUANG HUA. OUR HOPES THAT THE CHINESE WERE TAKING ACTION TO BRING DOWN THE NUMBERS HAVE NOT BEEN

REALISED. THE SEPTEMBER FIGURES WERE THE HIGHEST THIS YEAR AND THE HIGHEST SINCE THE INFLUX OF AUTUMN 1973 WHICH LED TO MINISTERIAL EXCHANGES WITH THE CHINESE.

2. IN MENTIONING HONG KONG WE ASSUME YOU WILL BRIEF THE SECRETARY

OF STATE TO START OFF ON A VERY POSITIVE NOTE BY SAYING HOW PLEASED HE IS THAT EXCELLENT SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS ARE REFLECTED IN GROWING CO-OPERATION IN HONG KONG. WE SUGGEST HE REFERS SPECIFICALLY TO THE RECENT DISCUSSIONS ON WATER SUPPLIES (WE NOW

HAVE A DRAFT AGREEMENT ON INCREASES UP TO 1982/83), AND IN PARTICULAR TO THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR DISCUSSIONS NEXT YEAR ON LONG TERM NEEDS BEYOND 1982/83. IMMIGRATION COULD THEN BE MENTIONED IN A FAIRLY LOW-KEY WAY AS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WHICH WE HAD NOT YET MANAGED TO SOLVE DESPITE A NUMBER OF EXCHANGES BOTH LOCALLY

AND IN PEKING.

3. WE SUGGEST THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE MIGHT DEAL WITH

IMMIGRATION ON THE FOLLOWING LINES:

QUOTE:

ONE PROBLER ZENG KUNG WHICH CAUSES US CONCERN IS THE HIGH-

VEL OF NEW ARRIVALS/FROM CHINA, WE REALISE THAT MANERANG - BETWEEN CHINA AND HONG KONG WILL VARY CONSIDERABLY FROM TIME TO TIME AND THAT THERE ARE PERFECTLY "UNDERSTANDABLE REASONS FOR THIS. RECENTLY HOWEVER THE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN STEADILY INCREASING. JUST UNDER FORTY TWO THOUSAND HAD ARRIVED BY THE

END OF SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR. THIS COMPARES WITH TWENTY SIX AND A HALF THOUSAND FOR THE WHOLE OF 1977. LESS THAN TWO PERCENT OF THESE RETURN TO CHINA. THE RESULT IS A GROWING PROBLEM IN PROVIDING HOUSING, MEDICAL, EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER SERVICES IN HONG KONG. THE DRAMATIC INCREASE THIS YEAR, IF

SUSTAINED, WOULD CREATE MAJOR PROBLEMS IN ENSURING THE CONTINUING STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG.

UNQUOTE.

THE

4. AS BACKGROUND YOU WILL WISH TO KNOW THAT 7,016 (7,016) TRAVELLERS ARRIVED ON CHINESE TRAVEL DOCUMENTS IN SEPTEMBER.

DAILY AVERAGE OF 234 COMPARES WITH 183 IN AUGUST AND 184 IN JULY. THERE WAS, HOWEVER, A MARKED INCREASE IN PASSPORT HOLDERS WITH ONWARD VISAS (366 COMPARED WITH 48 IN AUGUST). THE DAILY AVERAGE FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS, EXCLUDING THOSE WITH ONWARD VISAS, WAS:

APRIL

1 144.

MAY

137.

JUNE

180.

JULY

1 183.

AUGUST

蠶 181.

SEPTEMBER F 222.

(WE PASSED THE SEPTEMBER FIGURES TO NCNA TODAY, WITH APPROPRIATE

COMMENTS).

5. ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN A CORRESPONDING SHARP INCREASE IN THE

NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN RECENT MONTHS, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT THIS HAS BEEN CAUSED BY ANY RELAXATION IN CHINESE

SECURITY MEASURES. (WE DO NOT THEREFORE SEE ANY NEED FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO MENTION THIS ASPECT OF THE PROBLEM). THE

TOTAL NUMBER OF ILLEGALS ARRESTED AND REPATRIATED TO 30 SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR WAS 3,631 (1,019 OF THESE WERE REPATRIATED IN SEPTEMBER).

BASED ON AN ARREST/EVASION RATIO OF 1:4 THIS REPRESENTS ABOUT 14,500 ADDITIONAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA SO FAR THIS YEAR.

MACLEHOSE

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