TNAG-0889-FCO40-1099-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 189

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HKK 243

243/10

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

IND

1000

7 JUN1979

QFFICER

1966

REGISTRY Xotion Taken

FM HONG KONG Ø50845Z JUN 79

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

по

मदन

TELEGRAM NUMBER 731 OF 5 JUNE

INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE,

LONDON.

MIPT (NOT TO WASHINGTON): VIETNAMESE REFUGEES,

See 970A

1. IN PARA 2 OF YOUR TEL YOU ASK WHEN I WILL RETURN TO HONG KONG

FROM CONSULTATIONS IN LONDON AT THE END OF NEXT WEEK. IF THE

EMBASSY SEE NO OBJECTION AND CAN MAKE THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS

I WOULD LIKE TO RETURN VIA WASHINGTON AT WHATEVER TIME IN THE

WEEK BEGINNING 18 JUNE WOULD BE CONVENIENT.

2. AS SEEN FROM HERE THE BEST HOPE OF A SATISFACTORY OFF-TAKE OF

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG LIES IN WASHINGTON EITHER -

A. DIRECTLY, BY ADJUSTING HONG KONG'S SHARE OF THEIR 7,000 A

MONTH PROGRAMME, OR

8. INDIRECTLY AT THE FORTHCOMING INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, BY

BACKING HMG'S EFFORTS TO GET OTHER COUNTRIES TO CONTRIBUTE

WORTHWHILE PROGRAMMES AND GIVING A LEAD BY INCREASING THEIR

OWN.

1900

3. I REALISE AMBASSADOR CLARK HAS RECENTLY BEEN HERE AND YOU AND

MR BLAKER AND THE EMBASSY HAVE ALL SPOKEN TO THE AMERICANS (UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 168 TO FCO, YOUR TELNO 322 TO HONG KONG, WASHINGTON TELNO 1161 TO FCO). NEVERTHELESS IF RETURNED TO

I

HONG KONG VIA WASHINGTON I COULD EMPHASISE TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT HONG KONG'S RAPIDLY CHANGING SITUATION. IF YOU SAW NO OBJECTION IT MIGHT ALSO BE WORTHWHILE TO SPEAK TO THE PRESS ASSOCIATION OR SOME SIMILAR FORUM. I COULD DESCRIBE HONG KONG'S EXTRAORDINARY PREDICAMENT IN WHICH ON THE ONE HAND HER RELATIONS WITH CHINA AND HER ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SITUATION HAVE NEVER LOOKED

(988)

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HON