TNAG-0744-FCO40-948-Relations-between-China-and-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 29

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SCR 1/4731/49

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK

020/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 2 8 DEC 1978

Record of discussions between Political Advi

and Li Chu-sheng, Second Director of NCHA

15 December, 1978

Following a telephone message from Peking that the Ambassador would be received by the Vice-Minister at 6 p.m., Political Adviser asked Mr Li to call urgently. Mr Li came at 6.45 p.m. accompanied by Mr Tan Kan and Mr Li Jo-ho. They stayed till 7.50 p.m.

Immigration

2.

The PA said that our concern about numbers crossing the border had first been mentioned in January. We had hoped that the problem could be dealt with at the local level but this had not proved possible. He had therefore spoken to Sung Chih-kuang in May. Since then there had been regular expressions of concern, culminating in the Secretary of State's meeting with Foreign Minister Huang Hua in October. We had noted the assurances by the Foreign Minister that China was paying attention to the problem and had imposed some restrictions. However, despite these

assurances the situation has got worse not better. When he had first spoken to the NCNA in January, the daily average was 97. When Dr Owen spoke, the daily average for September was 234. Now, for November, the daily average (for those without onward documentation) was 304. So far, in December, it was even higher, at 344.

In

3.

The PA continued by saying that one important new aspect of the problem was passport holders without onward visas. He had already spoken about this in early November. In October the number of such cases had been 3,340. November, 3,496. So far in December the figure was already 1,808. Such people did not and could/get visas to move on. There was some evidence of a racket here in providing spurious documentation to enable people to get passports to leave China. We would give NCNA details when they were available.

4.

Illegals made matters worse. Over 2,000 were repatriated in November. We did not know how many escape capture but it must be a large number.

5.

Those coming from Vietnam after staying in China were now adding to the problem. We had already discussed this locally and had raised it in Peking. There was also a recent case of two people being given Chinese travel documents although they had originally applied for visas as Vietnamese citizens and been refused. The arrival of these people from China was likely to cause great public anxiety.

CONFIDENTIAL".

/contd..