TNAG-1088-FCO40-1338-Illegal-immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 56

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CONFIDENTIAL

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RECEIVED IN DER NO. 51

16 MAR 1981

DESK O

INDEX

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REGISTRY Action Taken

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No

MEETING BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE GOVERNOR DE HONG KONG : 10 MARCH 1981

Present

The Rt Hon The Lord Carrington

KCMG MC

Mr Peter Blaker MP Mr Richard Luce MP Mr A E Donald CMG

Sir Murray MacLehose

GBE KCMG KCVO Mr D R Ford MVO OBE

Mr W J Adams CMG

Mr G C H Walden CMG Mr R D Clift

Mr R MJ Lyne

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA

1.

Sir M MacLehose said that the new measures introduced in October 1980 were working well. Illegal immigrants had been cut to a trickle and the measures were welcomed in Hong Kong.

DEFENCE COSTS AGREEMENT

2. Sir M MacLehose said that the agreement signed in October 1980 was working well and had been accepted in Hong Kong.

UNIVERSITY FEES

3.

Sir M MacLehose recalled that the Secretary of State had told him that it would not be possible for HMG to contribute towards the support of Hong Kong students. The Hong Kong Government therefore planned themselves to provide finance as necessary in order to retain the academic link with Britain. He hoped that at some later stage it might be possible for the UK to resume some form of support. Lord Carrington noted that with the recent rise in fees this would be a very expensive matter. Sir M MacLehose said that for Hong Kong's part they would be providing loans to students up to a total of about £5-6 million per year.

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

4. Sir M MacLehose said that he understood that a submission had been made to the Prime Minister which would allow refugees from boat rescues to be excluded from the 10,000 quota. This would permit another 700 refugees to be taken from Hong Kong which would very usefully provide extra time for the continuation of the current outflow. We could thus tell the Americans that the programme was continuing. After that Hong Kong had in mind asking the Ockenden Venture to keep their centres open for sponsored refugees. could not pay for the latter, Hong Kong would.

If HMG

CONFIDENTIAL

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