TNAG-0906-FCO40-1116-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 71

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нак зні

RACEVIC ART NO. 51

070

FM FCO 191715Z OCT 79

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 850 OF 19 OCTOBER INDEX

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

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DESK OFFICER

PA

PEGISTRY Ation Takan

Me

Aw

2014

!!

YOUR TELNO 1451 AND PEKING TELNO 925: IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA.

1. WE HAVE NO OBJECTION IN PRINCIPLE TO A CHANGE IN THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR HANDLING NEW ARRIVALS FROM CHINA ON THE LINES PROPOSED IN PARAGRAPHS 3-5 OF YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE. BUT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROPOSED TIMING.

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nee 20

2. AS WE UNDERSTAND IT, THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE CHANGE WOULD BE TO GIVE THE CHINESE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WERE PREPARING TO IMPOSE UNILATERAL CONTROLS ON LEGAL IMMIGRATION, AND THUS TO PUT PRESSURE ON THEM TO LIMIT THE NUMBERS THESELVES. IT MAY BE THAT THE SIGNAL WOULD BE QUICKLY UNDERSTOOD. BUT IT SEEMS TO US MORE LIKELY THAT IT WOULD TAKE THE CHINESE A LITTLE TIME TO ASSESS THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS. IN ANY CASE, IT IS SURELY UNREALISTIC TO SUPPOSE THAT A MEASURE OF THIS KIND INTRODUCED ONLY 4 DAYS BEFORE HUA'S ARRIVAL HERE AND WHILE HE IS IN EUROPE COULD SERVE TO FOCUS CHINESE MINDS ON THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE VISIT. MOREVER IT THE INITIAL CHINESE ASSESSMENT WAS THAT THE MOVE WAS PROVOCATIVE, AND A REPORT IN THIS SENSE WAS TELEGRAPHED TO HUA'S PARTY THE EFFECT MIGHT NOT BE HELPFUL.

3. WE SHOULD THEREFORE PREFER ON BALANCE TO DEFER CONSIDERATION OF THIS MEASURE UNTIL AFTER HUA'S DEPARTURE, PARTICULARLY IN VIEW OF THE INDICATIONS OF HELPFULNESS OVER PASSPORT HOLDERS WITHOUT ONWARD VISAS REPORTED IN PEKING TELEGRAM NO 926.

CARRINGTON

FILES

HKG YD MQUD PUSD MRCORTAZZI

MIRMURRAY

COPIES TO

HONG KONG GOV: OFFICE,

LONDON

CONFIDENTIAL