TNAG-0845-FCO40-1055-Visits-of-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 139

CONFIDENTIAL

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taken to ensure that this does not appear to be a lowering of our

guard.

6 As regards legal immigration, consideration has been given to the

possibility of imposing controls on the Hong Kong side as a means of

keeping the figures down to an acceptable level. This would be very

unwelcome to the Chinese Government, who consider that their nationals

have a traditional right of free movement to Hong Kong (which they

regard as Chinese territory). The idea has not been pursued while

the figures appeared to be moving in the right direction, but the

Governor may wish to suggest that we should revert to it if the

figures remain for much longer at their present unacceptable level.

Hong Kong and General Department

September 1979

CONFIDENTIAL