TNAG-0906-FCO40-1116-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 38

Mr Murray

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 34 | 1

RECEIVED 1a REGISTRY NO. 51

31

1 OCT 1979

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

DESK OFFICER INDEX

Me

217

A, B

215 216

HONG KONG: IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA

1. 938 illegal immigrants have been arrested in Hong Kong during the past 24 hours. The total for the last 5 days is 3,200. If this alarming trend continues, we will be back to the situation in May and June this year. We must clearly brief the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State to speak in strong terms.

2. The Governor has asked whether it might help in the talks with Premier Hua Guofeng if he were to stimulate reports in the British press by issuing a fairly dramatic statement (Hong Kong telegrams Nos 1523 and 1524). I have discussed this idea with Mr Cortazzi and with Mr Lyne in the Private Office. We all think that while some press coverage might be helpful, publicity which was clearly officially inspired might well be counter- productive.

3.

The attached draft telegram incorporates a reply on these

lines.

fyinghven

R JT McLaren

30 October 1979

Hong Kong and General Department

CC

Mr Cortazzi

FED

Tel

issued.

ври 38/10

श्

3/

་༠་

CONFIDENTIAL