TNAG-0941-FCO40-1160-Visit-by-Lord-Carrington--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-1980 — Page 147

HKK026/17

15

SECRET

مدد

*?

! $17.9.

MG

42950 1

<<

(35)

00 HONG KONG

GRS 1249

SECRET

FM FCO 111430Z SEP 80

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 763 OF 11 SEPTEMBER

INFO SAVING PEKING

MIPT: SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG: BRIEFING

FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF DRAFT STEERING BRIEF:

OBJECTIVES

1. (A) TO REASSURE THE LOCAL COMMUNITY THAT HMG ARE FULLY AWARE OF

THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARDS THE TERRITORY AND INTEND TO

FULFIL THEM.

(B) TO GET A FIRST-HAND IMPRESSION OF THE PROBLEM OF IMMI –

GRATION FROM CHINA AND THE MEASURES BEING TAKEN TO CONTROL

IT AS WELL AS THE CONTINUING PROBLEM OF REFUGEES FROM

VIETNAM.

(C) TO RECEIVE ON-THE-SPOT BRIEFING ON THE HONG KONG ANGLE TO

SUBJECTS TO BE RAISED DURING THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT

TO CHINA.

BACKGROUND TO THE VISIT

2. THE SECRETARY OF STATE LAST VISITED HONG KONG IN JUNE 1979 TO

SEE FOR HIMSELF THE PROBLEMS CREATED BY THE COMBINED IMPACT OF THE

INFLUX FROM CHINA AND THE ALARMING NUMBER OF REFUGEES FROM

VIETNAM. THAT VISIT, FOLLOWED BY THE PRIME MINISTER'S AGREEMENT

TO ACCEPT 10,000 REFUGEES FOR RESETTLEMENT IN THE UK AND THE SWIFT

REINFORCEMENT OF THE HONG KONG GARRISON TO COMBAT ILLEGAL IMMI-

GRATION, PROVIDED CONCRETE EVIDENCE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT

TO HONG KONG. NEVERTHELESS, A NUMBER OF OTHER DEVELOPMENTS OVER

THE LAST 15 MONTHS (SEE PARAGRAPH 4 BELOW) HAVE GIVEN RISE TO

FEARS THAT LOCAL INTERESTS ARE BEING OVERLOOKED. THE VISIT WILL

COME AS A TIMELY REASSURANCE OF HMG'S CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO

HONG KONG.

PROGRAMME

1

SECRET

36