TNAG-0905-FCO40-1115-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 141

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CONFIDENTIAL

Hkk3411

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

3 0 MAY 1979

DESK OFFICER

425

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 2509307

FCO

84

DESKBY 2606007

*

PEKING

FM HONG KONG 2604582 MAY 79

INDEX

TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELNO.652 OF 26 MAY,

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING,

1.

ROUTINE : HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.

FOR CORTAZZI AND MCLAREN FROM GOVERNOR.

MY TELNO.586: IMMIGRATION.

حمام

PA

7315

See 186

1 SHOULD HAVE ADDED THAT IN PROPOSING TO REDUCE THE FLOW OF LEGALS BY QUOTA CONTROL, MAJOR SIDE OBJECTIVES ARE:-

(A) TO MAKE THE CHINESE FOCUS ON THE WHOLE PROBLEM OF MOVEMENT

INTO HONG KONG INCLUDING, IN PARTICULAR, ILLEGAL MOVEMENT WHICH

IS NOW THE MAJOR THREAT:

(B) KNOWLEDGE THAT I RAISED THIS ISSUE IN PEKING HAS INTRODUCED A NOW-OR-NEVER ATMOSPHERE IN NEIGHBOURING COMMUNES. THIS WILL

KEEP BOTH ILLEGAL MOVEMENT AND ALSO PRESSURE ON COUNTY

AUTHORITIES FOR PERMITS AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL UNTIL THE EXPECTED

ACTION BY US, THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES, OR BOTH HAS OCCURRED.

(C) THE INEVITABLE, BUT I HOPE TEMPORARY, TENSION WOULD BE CONDUCIVE TO THE ALL-OUT EFFORT AGAINST ILLEGALS THAT WE WOULD

HAVE TO MAKE AT THE SAME TIME TO STEM THE ADDITIONAL MOVEMENT

EXPECTED FROM FRUSTRATED WOULD-BE LEGALS. PROPERLY PUBLICISED,

THESE MEASURES SHOULD HELP TO PERSUADE THE CHINESE TO TAKE MC

EFFECTIVE RECIPROCAL ACTION ON THEIR SIDE. THEY CANNOT RELISH

THIS EVIDENCE OF SO MANY PEOPLE WANTING TO LEAVE CHINA, OR OFA

BREAKDOWN OF CONTROL SEMI-COLON NOR WILL THEY BE UNMINDFUL

OF THE THREAT TO COMFIDENCE IN HONG KONG OF MOVEMENT ON THIS

SCALE.

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