TNAG-1102-FCO40-1352-Smuggling-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-or-Taiwan-1981 — Page 29

(2)

нак збору

RECEIVED IN RECASTRY NO. 51 3 FEB 1981

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

GPS 180

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG 260842Z JAN 81

TO PRIORITY PEKING

TELEGRAM NUMBER 32 OF 26 JANUARY

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON

F CO

MYTELNO 60 TO FCO - SMUGGLING INTO CHINA.

INDEX

من

INCLUDED IN A SPEECH GIVEN BY THE GOVERNOR ON 23 JANUARY WAS THE

FOLLOWING PASSAGE:-

''PERHAPS NOT UNCONNECTED WITH OUR SUCCESSFUL ATTACK ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION THERE HAS BEEN A SUDDEN INCREASE IN TWO-WAY SMUGGLING OF GOODS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA, MOSTLY BY BOAT. THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES AND OURSELVES TAKE AN EQUALLY SERIOUS VIEW OF THIS FURTHER MANIFESTATION OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY ACROSS THE FRONTIER. IT COULD SPAWN OUT INTO OTHER CRIMES AND IT COULD CAUSE FRICTION WITH OUR NEIGHBOUR. OUR LEGISLATION HAS BEEN EXAMINED TO SEE HOW MOST EFFECTIVELY WE CAN PREVENT THESE ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING FOR EXAMPLE CONFISCATION OF THE SMUGGLED GOODS, AND IN SERIOUS CASES, CONFISCATION OF VESSELS OR CANCELLATION OF THE LICENCES OF THEIR

MASTERS''

2. THIS PASSAGE WAS GIVEN PROMINENT TREATMENT BY BOTH THE CHINESE

AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRESS HERE. ADDITIONAL DETAILS REGARDING THE LEGISLATION AND THE PENALTIES WERE GIVEN SUBSEQUENTLY BY THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN AND WERE ALSO WELL PUBLICISED.

MACLEHOSE

MINIMAL

HKYGD

FED

COPIES TO

P0131

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE

LONDON

THIS TELEGRAM

WAS NOT

ADVANCED