TNAG-0851-FCO40-1061-Future-of-Hong-Kong-New-Territories-leases-1979 — Page 105

GHS 300

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO 0119402 NOV 73

IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

TELEGRAM NUMBER 399 OF 1 NOVEMBER

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

MIPT: PREMIER HUA'S VISIT

there and

INDEX

S

5 NOV 1979

253

1. FOLLOWING IS EXTRACT ON IMMIGRATION:

See 256

260 261

#

THE PRIME MINISTER SAID THAT ABOUT 250,000 IMMIGRANTS PRO" CHINA HAD ENTERED HONG KONG IN 18 MONTHS, AND THE PATE HAD AT ONE POINT REACHED 1,000 A DAY. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD INCREASED THE HONG KONG GARRISON TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION. SHE WOULD ALSO BE GRATEFUL FOR MAXIMUM COOPERATION ON THE CHINESE SIDE OF THE BORDER. THERE HAD BEEN SOME IMPROVEMENT IN THE SITUATION EARLIER

IN THE YEAR, FOLLOWING REINFORCEMENT OF THE FORCES ON THE CHINESE SIDE. BUT WE WERE NOT SURE IF THIS HAD BEEN MAINTAINE, SINCE THE

SITUATION HAP SUDDENLY COT WORSE. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT DID NOT

UNDERSTAND THE REASON FOR THIS. PREMIER HUA REPLIED THAT HE HAD

JUST RECEIVED NEWS FROM PEKING ABOUT THE INCREASED FATE OF IMMIGRAT-

ION OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS. THERE HAD BEEN SPECULATION THAT HE

MIGHT SIGN SOME AGREEMENT DURING HIS VISIT TO BRITAIN, AND SOME

PEOPLE HAD BEEN AFRAID THAT IT MIGHT NOT BE POSSIBLE THEREAFTER

TO LEAVE CHINA FOR HONG KONG. THE PROBLEM OF IMMIGRATION HAD COME

UP WHEN THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG VISITED PEKING EARLIER THIS YEAP.

IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR, THE RATE HAD RISEN. THE STATE

COUNCIL THEN ORDERE? THE GUANGDON AUTHORITIES TO TAKE EFFECTIVE MEASURES AGAINST THIS, AND THE SATE HAD DROPPED, BUT IT HAD RISEN

AGAIN IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, PREMIER HUA WISHED TO ASSURE THE PRIME MINISTER THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD TAKEN NOTE OF THIS, AND

WOULD TAKE APPROPRIATE MEASURES.

THE PRIME MINISTER THANKED PREMIER HUA FOR THIS ASSURANCE. TOO MUCH MOVEMENT ACROSS THE BORDER WOULD CAUSE DIFFICULTIES FOR BOTH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND OURSELVES. THE DRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD

DO WHAT THEY COULD, AND KNEW THAT THE CHINESE WOULD DO THE SAME.

2. SEE MIFT.

CARRINGTON

FILES

HK & GD

FED

MR CORTAZZI MR MURRAY

CONFIDENTIAL

3

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