TNAG-0802-FCO40-1006-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 119

GR 569

PALIOAITY

HR/CAT A

FM HONG KONG 030893Z

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 341/1

TO PRIORITY F.C.O TELNO.1157 OF 3 OCTOBER 78 RECEIVED IN REGRY 120. 51

INFO PEKING.

FOR HONG KONG AND GENERAL DEPARTMENT.

[SiC 730?]-121

-

3 OCT 1978

DESK UT

RE

.INDEX

RY

-otion Ten

CLE

123

YOUR TELNO.703/: 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. !# 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 PROBLEM IN HONG KONG WHICH CAUSES US CONCERN IS THE HIGH LEVEL OF NEW ARRIVALS FROM CHINA. WE REALISE THAT MOVENENT 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

CONFIDENTIAL

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