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TREKING 2737157 JUNE 79
TOMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 594 OF 27 JUNE 79
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
MY TELNO 578:
IMMIGRATION
RECLIVIA
по
no 122.7
IQP COPY N
1. I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY OF A GENERAL EXCHANGE WITH
VICE FOREIGN MINISTER, ZHANG WENJIN, ON 26 JUNE TO REFER TO
THE PROBLEM OF LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION INTO HONG KONG.
ST
2. ZHANG ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHINESE
MEASURES TAKEN SO FAR HAD NOT BEEN GREAT. BUT HE ASSERTED THAT
THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT HAD TAKEN A CLOSE INTEREST IN THE
PROBLEM AND HAS ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS. IT WOULD TAKE TIME TO
ROOT OUT THE CJASES OF THE PROBLEM (WHICH HE ATTRIBUTED PASTLY TO THE GANC Cr FOUR) BUT LOCAL ACTION WAS BEING TAKEN AGAINST
"EAD ELEMENTS?' WHO WERE ENCOURAGING GUANGDONG RESIDENTS TO LEAVE CHINA, AND THE BORDER HAD BEEN REINFORCED. THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO REPORT EACH DAY
THE NUMBER OF THOSE CROSSING ILLEGALLY (HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE FIGURES WERE SOMETIMES NOT VERY ACCURATE), HE POINTED TO
A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER, PARTICULARLY IN THE LAST WEEK.
3. SO FAR AS LEGALS WERE CONCERNED, THE FLOW HAD BEEN
CURTAILED AND NUMBERS HAD FALLEN. THIS TREND WOULD CONTINUE,
4. FINALLY, HE ACKNOWLEDGED CHINA'S RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE
MATTER AND REAFFIRMED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WERE DETERMINED TO
TAKE EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO STEM THE FLOW. BUT A LITTLE TIME
WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THE FULL EFFECTS TO BE SEEN.
CRADOCK
FILES
HKG G D SEAD
DEF.D. PS.
PsTirs
PS/PUS SIRA DUFF MR CORTAZZ! MR NURRAY MRP MORE,
•S MR BLAKER
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