TNAG-0981-FCO40-1200-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 19

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consideration to the Hong Kong Government's request. Mr. TAN said he would

refer the matter for decision.

Visa Problems (Mr. Peters of Immigration Department was present for this item)

PA said that we had now looked into the request made by the NCNA.

4.

From

1 May 1980 the Immigration Department would be prepared to issue to holders of

official or diplomatic passports in Guangdong and Fujian visas for Hong Kong

in the following categories:

(a)

a single journey visit for up to 3 months;

(b) transit visas for 1 or 2 journeys of 7 days validity;

(c) multiple journey transit visas for diplomatic couriers.

Immigration Department would deal with the NCNA or CTS and would aim to issue the

visās within 7 working days. Persons not in the categories mentioned would still

have to apply to the British Embassy. Mr. II expressed appreciation of this

proposal but said he would like to consult the Department of Foreign Affairs

as it might wish to make certain supplementary proposals.

Return of Vietnamese refugees previously settled in China

5.

PA said that Mr. Sullivan from the British Embassy in Peking had

recently been told by Mr. FU Feng in Guangzhou that China would have great difficulty in taking back any further Vietnamese refugees previously settled in

China. If this were the case, it would cause very considerable concern to the

Hong Kong Government, as we still had some 2,500 such refugees. Moreover, if

they were not all sent back it would act as a strong incentive to others

to reach Hong Kong. Had there in fact been a change in policy? Mr. TAN said

he knew nothing of this but would enquire: possibly there had been a misunderstanding.

Exchange of information

6.

PA mentioned that the Hong Kong Marine Police had found that two Chinese trading vessels (Po Luen 216 from Fuyung Commune and 612 Luen Po from

Shacheng Commune) were carrying large quantities of consumer goods back to

China. The ships were moving after dark and it was possible that they were

engaged in smuggling the goods into China.

Mr. LI was very grateful for the

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