TNAG-0843-FCO40-1053-Visit-of-Lord-Carrington--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-1979 — Page 37

JSRE..

CONFIDENTIAL

SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG:

BRIEF NO 1: STEERING BRIEF

HKK.006/5.

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30 JUNE

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OBJECTIVE

1.

(a) To reassure the local community that the Governments

are fully aware of their responsibilities towards the territory

and intend to fulfil them.

(b) To get a first hand impression of the refugee and immi-

gration situations.

BACKGROUND TO THE VISIT

2.

This will be the first visit by a Foreign and Commonwealth

Secretary to Hong Kong since Sir Alec Douglas-Home went there

in November 1972. It will take place at a time when there is

great concern about the combined impact of the influx from China

and the rapidly rising number of Vietnamese refugees. The fact

that the Secretary of State has chosen to visit Hong Kong so

soon after taking office will therefore be particularly welcome.

The visit itself, and the swift reinforcement of the Hong Kong

garrison following the Governor's visit to London, are concrete

evidence of the Government's commitment to Hong Kong.

PROGRAMME

3.

The programme (Brief No 2) falls into two parts:-

(a) Discussions with the Governor and his senior officials

and with the Executive Council.

(b) Visits. The accent will be on refugees and the work

of the garrison in combatting illegal immigration but there will

also be an opportunity to look at a new town (Shatin) which is

being built from scratch to house half a million people by 1985.

/There

CONFIDENTIAL