TNAG-1024-FCO40-1274-Visit-by-Lord-Carrington--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-1981 — Page 35

CONFIDENTIAL

GR 202

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 100852Z MAR 81

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 263 OF 10 MARCH

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

TOD COPY

AKKC 026/2

RECEIVES A REGISTRY HO. 51

DECK

INDEX

FOR MORRICE HONG KONG AND GENERAL DEPARTMEN

ENT

FROM POLITICAL ADVISER

12 MAR 1981

ICER

PA

学

REGISTRY

Action Taken

AW12/3

YOUR LETTER OF 27 FEBRUARY: BRIEF FOR S OF S ON IMMIGRATION

FOLLOWING ARE COMMENTS ON YOUR DRAFT BRIEF:

(1) TALKING POINTS:

(A) NO NEED TO SAY ANYTHING EXCEPT REGISTER SATISFACTION THAT

THIS IS PROBLEM WHICH NOW SEEMS TO BE UNDER CONTROL AND EXPRESS HOPE THAT WITH CONTINUED EFFORTS BY BOTH SIDES IT WILL REMAIN

so.

(B) NO NEED TO REFER TO WANDERERS WHO ARE INSIGNIFICANT. NOR TO UK REACTION.

(C) ALTHOUGH THE RATE OF LEGAL IMMIGRATION IS STILL A PROBLEM THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WHICH REQUIRES RAISING AT S OF S LEVEL AT PRESENT.

(11) BACKGROUND.

(A) PARA 3. REACTION IN HONG KONG OVERWHELMINGLY FAVOURABLE.

WANDERERS HAVE VIRTUALLY NO SUPPORT.

(B) PARA 5. SUBSTITUTE ''STILL VERY'' FOR ''UNACCEPTABLY** IN FIRST SENTENCE. DELETE REMAINDER AND SUBSTITUTE: **ALMOST ALL COME TECHNICALLY AS VISITORS BUT STAY PERMANENTLY. GOVERNOR HAS SAID THIS IS PROBLEM WHICH WILL HAVE TO BE TACKLED LATER BUT NOT UNTIL MORE IMPORTANT PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL MOVEMENT IS FIRMLY UNDER CONTROL. NO NEED TO RAISE WITH CHINESE ON THE VISIT ALTHOUGH, IF THEY MENTION IT (UNLIKELY), SHOULD POINT OUT THAT NUMBER IS STILL TOO HIGH AND THAT BOTH SIDES SHOULD CO-OPERATE IN BRINGING IT DOWN''.

HADDON-CAVE

LIMITED

HK & GD

FED

PS/MR BLAKER MR DONALD

CONFIDENTIAL

مبا