TNAG-0983-FCO40-1202-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 53

3411

SECRET

172

GR 30%

SECRET

FM HONG KONG 181025Z SEP

TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1281 OF 18 SEPTEMBER, 1980

INFO PRIORITY PEKING.

(10

PEKING TELNO 592: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

λαύ

GOL

HKK 341

34111

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

19 SEP 1980

DESK OFFICER

DEX

1. I SHOULD HAVE MADE MY REASONS CLEARER. THEY ARE ENTIRELY PRESENTATIONAL. CHAMPION WILL FAIL, WITH EXTREMELY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES HERE, UNLESS ITS IMPORTANCE IMPRESSES THE PUBLIC IN BOTH HONG KONG AND GUANGDONG. BOTH MUST BELIEVE

THEIR RESPECTIVE GOVERNMENTS MEAN BUSINESS AND THAT THERE IS A NEW SITUATION. IT WOULD BE OF GREAT PRESENTATIONAL VALUE TO ME, IN ANNOUNCING THE NEW MEASURES, IF IT WAS KNOWN THAT I HAD JUST COME FROM A MEETING WITH GENERAL XI.

2. IF HE WERE TO MAKE A SUPPORTING STATEMENT OF INTENSIFIED MEASURES THIS WOULD BE ALL TO THE GOOD.

3. THE PROPOSAL IN PEKING'S PARAGRAPH 3 WOULD NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENT IN PARAGRAPH 1 ABOVE.

4. I THINK THE PROBLEMS REFERRED TO IN PEKING'S PARAGRAPH 1

COULD BE OVERCOME. WITH REGARD TO THEIR PARAGRAPH 2, I WOULD NOT BE SEEKING XI'S AGREEMENT, BUT MERELY INFORMING HIM OF WHAT WE WERE ABOUT TO DO IN A MATTER OF MAJOR MUTUAL CONCERN, AND I THINK THIS WOULD BE RIGHT WAY TO GET THE MAXIMIMUN ACTION OUT OF HIM.

PA

229.

5. OF COURSE HE MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE AT THE RIGHT TIME, IN WHICH CASE WE WOULD HAVE TO FALL BACK ON SOMETHING LIKE PEKING'S PARA 3.

6. ON RECONSIDERATION I THINK PARA 10 OF MY TELNO 1117 LEAVES TOO LITTLE TIME TO ARRANGE A VISIT AND WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD AGREE TO MY TAKING SOUNDINGS AT ONCE. I SEE NO HARM IN DOING THIS IN ADVANCE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT. XI HAS SAID HE WAS ALWAYS READY TO MEET TO DISCUSS MATTERS OF MUTUAL CONCERN, AND IN ASKING FOR THE APPOINTMENT I WOULD SAY IT WAS TO CONTINUE THE SERIES OF MEETINGS, BUT THAT I HAD A PARTICULAR POINT TO DISCUSS WITH HIM ABOUT IMMIGRATION. WE WOULD ASK THAT THE MEETING BE KEPT SECRET, AT ANY RATE UNTIL MUCH NEARER THE TIME.

MACLEHOSE

LIMITED

HK vGD FED PS

PSLLPS PS/MR BLAKER PSIPUS

3. હું ૧૦de MIL DONALD

SECRET

REGISTRY

Action Taken

see (173

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