TNAG-1019-FCO40-1269-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1981 — Page 77

Original at: AKK 0264 CONFIDENTIAL

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- only / Action cord of conversation between the Chief Secretary

and Mr Fu Fen, on the train between Guangzhou and Shenzhen,12 March 1981

Present:

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Mr Fu Fen, Head of Consular Section,

Foreign Affairs Office, Guangdong Mr Chen Yanshuo, Foreign Affairs

Office

VEB IN REGISTRY NO. 51 s22 APR 1981

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REGISTRY

DK OFFICER

Dr D & WIISong TaBA

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28 1/30/0

Mr Y Racheng

(Interpreter)

S for S CP

D of I HSI

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Mr Fu said that he would go through the series of points which the CS had raised at his meeting with Vice- Governor Zeng and which there had not been time to deal with on that occasion.

(1) Security matters. Mr Fu said that during the past 2-3 years there had been various problems at the border or in the two bays as well as questions of dealing with illegal immigration etc. This was bound to happen since contacts between the two sides were now closer. In the past these problems had been dealt with through NCNA. But this took time. The Chinese authorities thought there should be regular meetings with both sides on border questions. Such direct contact could help to solve matters quickly. This suggestion had already been put to NCNA who would be contacting the PA's office.

In answer to questions, Mr Fu said that on the Chinese side those concerned would be the Border Defence Inspection Staff (BDIS) and the Shenzhen Foreign Affairs Office. The Chinese envisaged these discussions dealing with urgent problems such as incidents in the bays as well as on the land frontier. They could also deal with the problems of smuggling and the return of criminals.

The CS pointed out that both sides must act within their own laws. The PA added that he thought such meetings could certainly deal with problems of smuggling. He was doubtful, however, about them dealing with the return of criminals. This was a much harder problem because Hong Kong was bound by the processes of its own extradition procedure. Mr Fu said he envisaged the meetings exchanging information on such matters rather than actually solving the problems themselves. In answer to a further question about whether it would be possible to deal with incidents in the bays at such meetings since control of the boats might not rest with the border authorities, Mr Fu said that these matters could be discussed at the first meeting. What was needed was some way of dealing with such matters quickly. Communication through NCNA and Guangzhou took a long time.

(2) The return of Vietnamese refugees. Mr Fu said that China had already accepted back some 7,000 refugees from Hong Kong (the PA questioned this figure and said he thought the correct total was nearer 4-5,000). Once the list of 28 who had arrived recently in Hong Kong had been checked, China would also be able to take them back. According to a preliminary check they did not originate from Ping Sha.

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