TNAG-0905-FCO40-1115-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 16

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SCR 6/2091/55

CONFIDENTIAL

Record of a Meeting between the

Adviser and NC NA on Tuesday

HK$847

HKK 3411

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 5 JUL 1972ical

Assistant

DESK OFFICER

Ло

Immigration from China

tical

fune 1979-at 1030

доу

Mr Tan of the NCNA called at my request today. I said we were extremely disturbed that the recent pattern of legal arrivals showed that the daily average was no longer declining as had been the case for the past few months. Although the daily average in June to date (166) was lower than the overall average in May (183), these figures masked the distinct downward trend which had been apparent throughout May. During the last seven days of May the/ had been 154 whereas for the latest period of seven days (19 - 25 June) the average was 166. This was an extremely high level and had only been reached, before the present difficulties, in 1973. As Mr Tan would remember, the 1973 level had been the subject of urgent representations and during the next three years immigration had steadily declined to about 20,000 in 1976. I gave Mr Tan a table showing the overall figures since 1971.

2.

I passed Mr Tan a table showing the numbers of single and return journey permits of arrivals from February to May. This showed that a very high proportion of those coming were given visit permits. There was clearly scope for these to be dramatically reduced if applicants could not give a convincing assurance that they intended to return to China.

3.

Mr Tan had given me yesterday the figures he had obtained from the authorities at Shenzhen (Shum Chun) for those leaving on "green" and "pink" permits between 4 and 10 june. I passed him a table comparing these with the figures we kept at Lowu. Mr Tan agreed that the figures suggested, contrary to his understanding, that some permits covered additional family members apart from the holder. I said that although the overall discrepancy was small (an average of about five more per day being recorded at Lowu), it was important for both sides to operate on as accurate figures as possible. Mr Tan said he would ask whether the Shenzhen figures did not include, for instance, young babies and undertook to keep in mind my suggestion that we would be willing to provide a detailed list for a selected day showing names and permit nos. if this would help reconcile the figures.

CONFIDENTIAL

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