TNAG-0896-FCO40-1106-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 295

CONFIDENTIAL

RECORD OF A MEETING WITH THE ACTING SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, CANBERRA, ON 1 AUGUST 1979 AT 10.45 AM

Present:

Sir Jack Cater

Chief Secretary

Hong Kong Government

Sir Donald Tebbit

Mr D R Tilling

Mr P G F Henderson Acting Secretary

Department of Foreign Affairs

1. Sir Jack Cater described the immense problem Hong Kong

faced over the influx of Indo-Chinese refugees and expressed disappointment at the small number of refugees Australia had taken from Hong Kong. The latest figures were 238 out of about 67,000 ie less than 2%. Mr Henderson said that he appreciated Hong Kong's problems but could not offer any relief. Australia saw a greater need to give priority to admitting refugees from Malaysia and Indonesia, if only because this indirectly relieved the pressure on Australia from unheralded boat refugees.

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2. Sir Donald Tebbit pointed out the commercial and security value of Hong Kong to Australia. Might this not call for a measure of reciprocity? He said that there was a grotesque imbalance in the numbers Australia had taken from Hong Kong compared to those, as a percentage, from eg Malaysia. would be grateful if the Australians could look again at their quota from Hong Kong. Mr Henderson said that it might be possible to get Ministers to look at the Hong Kong quota once again and he would see what could be done.

CONFIDENTIAL