TNAG-0802-FCO40-1006-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 223

CONFIDENTIAL

96

HKK 341/1

RECEIVED

2 4 JUL 1978

MEGK OFFICER

PA

No l

I C Orr Esq

A

Asst Folitical Adviser

HONG KONG

'

BRITISH EMBASSY

PEKING

14 July 1978

Sale Ly

t HKG D

RAL

ト

IMMIGRATION INTO HONG KONG

1. I was summoned to Consular Department today to discuss the technicalities of issuing Hong Kong visas to Chinese travellers from Western Samoa (a separate telegram to Immigration Department refers). When this was over Mrs Chang Shu-chen commented that there were now very large numbers of Chinese transiting Hong Kong. I agreed, and took the opportunity to say that we welco- med Chinese travellers passing through Hong Kong, but were becoming increasingly concerned about the numbers who came to stay.

2. It is evident that our message is being heard since Mrs Chang was aware of the problem. She made two comments. The first was that this was not really a matter that the Ministry of Foreigh Affairs could deal with: exit visas for Chinese were the responsibility of the Public Security Bureaux. I understood this, but pointed out that we had no method of expressing our concern directly to the PSB and had to go through the MFA. We hoped that Consular Department. as well as Western European Department and the NCNA would help pass our views on to those directly concerned.

3. Mrs Chang also believed that many of those whose original intention was to travel to Indonesia or Singapore returned to China when they found they could not obtain entry visas in Hong Kong. She also thought that there was significant migration from Hong Kong to China balancing out the movement in the opposite direction. I put her right on both these points, based on the information obtained during my recent visit to your office, but if you agree, propose to send the detailed figures to Consular

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