TNAG-0904-FCO40-1114-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 11

GRS 450*

CON

DENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 100945Z

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

Original at:

HKCK 006/3

This Copy for:

Information only / Action on

Arabid

TELEGRAM NUMBER 453 OF 10 APRIL

My wulia

williament Pl. ace this also

Dr Collazzi

dutalmly b

Already arranged

81.4

FOR QUANTRILL, HK AND G DEPARTMENT FROM POLITICAL ADVISER.

1. YOU ASKED FOR A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF WHAT WAS SAID ABOUT HKK 34HI

IMMIGRATION DURING THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO CHINA ANDREIN ADVANCE NO. 51 OF THE VARIOUS RECORDS OF CONVERSATION WHICH YOU SAID WOULD NOT REACH YOU UNTIL THE END OF THIS WEEK.

DEOK

INDEX

2. THE GOVERNOR SPOKE ABOUT IMMIGRATION BOTH IN GUANGZI PEKING (TO DENG HUANG HUA). AT ALL LEVELS HE STRESSED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS SERIOUS. WITH HUANG HUA HE WENT INTO DETAIL, SAYING THAT THE POSITION NOW WAS ROUGHLY THE SAME AS WHEN DR OWEN RAISED

THE MATTER IN OCTOBER: THAT THE REAL PROBLEM WAS THOSE WHO CLAIMED TO COME ON VISITS AND THEN STAYED (ONLY ABOUT TWO PERCENT RETURNING TO CHINA): AND THAT THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN ILLEGALS.

3. THE CHINESE RESPONSE, NOTABLY FROM DENG, WAS TO RECOGNISE THAT THE RESULTS OF MEASURES SO FAR TAKEN HAD NOT BEEN SUFFICIENT AND TO SAY THAT MORE WOULD BE DONE. DENG ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE REAL ANSWER WAS TO NARROW THE DIFFERENCE IN LIVING STANDARDS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA AND THAT THIS COULD BE HELPED BY GREATER HONG KONG INVESTMENT. THE GOVERNOR POINTED OUT THAT THIS WAS OF COURSE A LONG TERM SOLUTION WHEREAS WE FACED AN IMMEDIATE PROBLEM.

RA

4. WHEN THE GOVERNOR SPOKE IN GUANGZHOU ON OUR RETURN ABOUT THE RECENT MASSIVE INCREASE IN ILLEGALS, THE CHINESE ADMITTED THAT THERE

HAD BEEN A BREAKDOWN OF CONTROL IN SOME AREAS. THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE MOVEMENT OF ILLEGALS WAS A MUTUAL PROBLEM AND SAID THAT THEY WOULD BE TAKING FURTHER MEASURES TO DEAL WITH IT.

5. IN BOTH GUANGZHOU AND PEKING THE GOVERNOR STRESSED THAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION WAS A PROBLEM WHICH WE WISHED TO DEAL WITH BY MUTUAL CO-OPERATION. HE SUGGESTED THAT AN EARLY MEETING OF OFFICIALS WOULD BE HELPFUL. YOU WILL HAVE NOTICED THAT HE ALSO MADE THIS POINT PUBLICLY IN HIS PRESS CONFERENCE ON 6 APRIL.

RY

CONFIDENTIAL

:

THE