TNAG-0905-FCO40-1115-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 124

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DESKBY FCO 38Z

FM PEKING 380440Z MAY 79

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 506 OF 30 MAY 72

INFO FLASH HONG KONG

HECK 341||

DISTRIBZ MY

し

11131 MAY 1979

IMMIGRATION INTO HONG KONG FROM CHINA

No

26

ex

1. I HAVE BEEN SUMMONED TO MEET ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS ZHANG SHENMING (WHO IS UNKNOWN TO ME) AT 310237Z. HE WISHES TO SPEAK ABOUT THE '' IMMIGRATION CF CHINESE CITIZENS INTO HONG VONG''

2.

ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CLARIFY THE POINT, IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT THIS IS MERELY A VISA QUESTION. PERHAPS THE CHINESE WISH NOW TO RESPOND TO THE GOVERNOR'S SUGGESTIONS FOR A MEETING TO DISCUSS THE CONTROL OF THE FLOW OF LEGAL IMMIGRANTS (HONG KONG TELNO 586 TO YOU REFERS).

3. 1 SHALL NEED URGENT INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT LINE TO

TAKE WHEN I SEE ZHANG. IN ORDER NOT TO SAY ANYTHING THAT

MIGHT PRE-EMPT ACTION ALONG THE LINES OF HONG YONG TELNOS 643 AND 652, I MIGHT MERELY TAKE NOTE OF WHAT ZHANG WISHES TO SAY AND REPORT BACK. BUT IF IT TURNS OUT THAT THE

CHINESE ARE PROPOSING FURTHER CONCRETE MEASURES OR SERIOUS

TALKS, IT WOULD NOT BE THE BEST TIME TO TAKE UNILATERAL ACTION. I NOTE FROM HONG KONG TELNO 614 THAT THE DAILY

AVERAGE FOR LEGAL ENTRANTS IS CONTINUING TO DROP. THIS

MIGHT THEREFORE BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ALONG THE LINES OF PARAGRAPH 5 OF MY TELNO 489,' CONCENTRATING ON THE PROBLEM

OF ILLEGALS, IF IT IS AGREED THAT THIS APPROACH IS WORTH

TRYING.

4.

GRATEFUL FOR REPLY DESKBY 310104Z AND FOR HONG KONG'S COMMENTS TO REACH YOU IN TIME TO MEET THIS DEADLINE.

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