TNAG-0904-FCO40-1114-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 95

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CONFIDENTIAL

FIA PEKING 170516Z FEB 79

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 224 OF 17 FEB

AND TO HONG KONG

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FOR RESIDENT CLERK PLEASE INFORM SAMUEL

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HONG KONG TELNO 279 AND YOUR TELNO 166: IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA

1. } AGREE THAT A WARMING WILL HAVE TO BE GIVEN TO THE CHINESE. THE FORMULA PROPOSED BY HONG KONG HOWEVER, STATES THAT RESTRICT- IONS WILL BE IMPOSED AND IMPLIES THIS WILL BE THE CASE WHETHER OR NOT THE CHINESE TAKE SATISFACTORY ACTION THEMSELVES TO RESTRICT

I WOULD IMMIGRATION BEFORE THE CONTROLS ACTUALLY BEGIN TO APPLY. PREFER PARAGRAPH 7(1) OF HONG KONG TELMO 279 TO READ: ''IT IS NOW INEVITABLE THAT, UNLESS (BY A CERTAIN DATE) THE NUMBERS ARE REDUCED (TO A CERTAIN LEVEL), RESTRICTIONS WILL BE IMPOSED'? IS THE NATURAL NEXT STEP FOLLOWING THE WARNING IN THE TERMS OF FCO TELNO 795 OF 11 DECEMBER TO PEKING. PARAGRAPH 7(11) COULD THEN BE REDRAFTED TO READ AS A LAST WARNING.

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IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE CHANCES OF THE CHINESE COOPERATING AND SO PERHAPS OF AVOIDING CONTROLS IT WOULD BE REASONABLE TO GIVE THEM SOME IDEA OF THE PARAMETERS WITHIN WHICH RESTRICTIONS WILL OPERATE E.G, 50 PER DAY OR ONLY THOSE WITH A VALID FAMILY OR OTHER REASON FOR ENTERING HONG KONG. WE MUST ALSO BE PREPARED FOR MUCH GREATER CHINESE PRESSURE TO ENSURE THE RETURN OF THOSE WHOSE PERM- ISSION TO REMAIN IN HONG KONG HAS EXPIRED.

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