TNAG-0896-FCO40-1106-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 246

GR 200

ASSIFIED

DESKBY FCO 121180Z

FM PEKING 1009182 AUG 79

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 711 OF 10 AUGUST 1979

1353

Hkk 243/1

Rectivio di BO STAY NO.

13 AUG 1979

DESK UFIDES

INDEX

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, ROUTINE WASHINGTON, UKMTS CERE

REGISTRY

Action Taken

TOKYO

(1537A) MY TELNO 451:

MV RUDD BANK

See isss

1. IN ANSWER TO AN ENQUIRY BY TELEPHONE, QI XIAOSHANG OF WESTERN EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT INFORMED US ON 10 AUGUST THAT IT

HAD BEEN DECIDED THAT THE REFUGEES ABOARD THE MV RUDD BANK

WOULD BE PERMITTED TO LAND. THE AUTHORITIES IN SHANGHAI HAD

BEEN INSTRUCTED TO ACT ACCORDINGLY. FIRST SECRETARY SAID HE WOULD PASS THIS INFORMATION ON TO HMG WHO WOULD CERTAINLY WELCOME THIS HELPFUL DECISION, WHICH SHOULD DO A GREAT DEAL TO STRENGTHEN THE PRINCIPLES OF FIRST ASYLUM AND THE FIRST

SCHEDULED PORT OF CALL.

"

I

2. THE CHINESE HAVE NOT SO FAR RAISED THE QUESTION OF

CUARANTEES TO TAKE THOSE NOT SETTLED ELSEWHERE, NOR

HAVE WE. WE NOTE THAT NCNA ON 9 AUGUST REPORTED THE TAKING

UP OF THE REFUGEES BY THE RUDD BANK, DESCRIBED AS A FREIGHTER

"'OF THE BRITISH BANK LINE CHARTERED BY CHINA'' THE REFERENCE

CAME AS A TAILPIECE TO A REPORT THAT A CHINESE VESSEL RESCUED

74 REFUGEES ON 21 JULY AND BROUGHT THEM TO CHINA. THE DECISION

TO ACCEPT THE REFUGEES MAY THEREFORE REFLECT A SENSE OF

RESPONSIBILITY CONNECTED WITH THE CHARTERING OF THE SHIP AND

A DESIRE TO PROVE THE GENUINE NATURE OF ZHANG WENJIN'S PLEDGES

AT GENEVA,

GEORGE

FILES

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION BOAT FEOPLE

SEAD

PS

HK & GD

UND

FED

FESD

N AM D

SAD

MAED

EID

FUSD

OID

IPD

PS/LPS PS/MR HURD PS/MR BLAKER

PS/PUS

SIR A DUFF

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

MR STRATTON

ZORD NG LENNOX

NEWS D MVD

MR BULLARD

MR FREДWELL

}