GR3 250
ESIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 190300Z DEC 78
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
TELEGRAM NUMBER 924 OF 19 DECEMBER
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, HANOI.
YOUR TELNO 807:
1.
358
REFUGEES FROM INDO-CHINA.
·N.T.
RA
HKK 243/1
362
RECEIVED NOSTAVNO. 51
INCEX
LA M
19 DEC 973
Y
No I pour 025
UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 1039 REFERRED TO IN YOUR PARA 1 HAS BEEN RECEIVED GARBLED FROM DARWIN: PLEASE REPEAT.
2.
MY INITIAL REACTION TO YOU PROPOSAL IS THAT LOGICAL AS IT
SEEMS, IT IS NOT FOR US TO PUT TO THE CHINESE. THEY CLAIM TO
HAVE ALREADY ACCEPTED MORE THAN 300,000 REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM OVER
THE LAST YEAR. IT IS EVEIDENT BOTH FROM TRAVELLERS' TALES AND WHAT
THE CHINESE HAVE TOLD US- MOST RECENTLY AT MY MEETING WITH VICE FOREIGN MINISTER CHANG WEN-CHIN ON 15 DECEMBER (MY TELNO 917 REFERS) THAT THESE REFUGEES ARE CREATING MANY DIFFICULTIES FOR THE LOCAL
AUTHORITIES UNDER WHOSE CARE THEY ARE PLACED.
3. EVEN THOUGH MOST REFUGEES WHO HAVE COME TO CHINA HAVE DONE SO FROM NORTH VIETNAM, AND ARE THEREFORE USED TO LIFE IN A ''SOCIAL- IST' COUNTRY, THEY ARE FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO ADJUST AND MANY ARE ATTEMPTING TO GET VISAS TO TRAVEL ELSEWHERE OR SIMPLY LEAVING FOR HONG KONG. IT WOULD NO DOUBT BE EVEN MORE DIFFICULT FOR CHINA TO ABSORB ''BOAT PEOPLE? FROM SOUTH VIETNAM EVEN IF MANY COULD BE
PERSUADED. TO GO THERE.
4. ALSO, AS SUGGESTED IN YOUR TELEGRAM, IT WOULD BE COUNTER-
PRODUCTIVE IN TERMS OF OUR EFFORTS TO GET THE CHINESE TO APPRECIATE
AND TAKE STEPS TO REMEDY HONG KONG'S REFUGEE PROBLEM FOR US TO
APPEAR SO UNSYMPATHETIC TO THEIR OWN.
CRADOCK
FILES
UND
SEAD
FED
[REPETITION TO HANOI REFERRRD FOR
DEPARTMENTAL DECISION]
FS/PUS
MR CORTAZZI
MR MURRAY
HK & GD MR WEIR
PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS
PS/MR LUARD
CONFIDENTIAL
en
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