布政司署
香港下亞畢道
CONFIDENTIAL
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
18 March 1982
* OUR REF.: (96) TSS 1/82
**YOUR REF.: HKK 243/2
Mr Willymon
R D Clift Esq further ater?
This seeme
sight. Any
Чит
2913
Hong Kong & General Dept
F CO
Dear Duck,
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
25.3
Ꮴ .
m.for.
SHE AND Lee.
H25/3/82
I apologise for the delay in replying to your letter of 12 January. It has taken us some time to coordinate comments. The general conclusion we have reached is that the Vietnamese Trade Office here is unlikely to give us any useful leverage over Vietnamese refugees.
2.
The total value of Hong Kong/Vietnam trade during 1981 was claimed by the Vietnamese to be $120 million. This figure (miniscule in Hong Kong terms) is almost certainly exaggerated. Since the departure of the former head of the Trade Office, Pham Hong Quang, in June 1981, the Trade Office's activity seems to have been reduced to a minimum. Pham was not replaced and the
expatriate staff now number only four. Our assessment l aques
✓
is that if the Trade Office were to close, trade at about. the current level would probably continue through other intermediaries.
3.
A move to close down the Trade Office would presumably invite some form of retaliation against the Embassy in Hanoi. Though it is not for me to say, the risk does not seem worth taking.
Mylift. Not on this particular
nor
point. HKG are wow awaiting a report on Si E Gouda's visit
to Genera and win then fir up their ideas about what todo. I have Dressed the weed to crumet
shake hand to andwink
s
why
to Minister.
cc T C S Stitt Esq
SEAD FCO
Jwiliam
27.3
ник 24311
Yous
ever,
horni
E
IN
(R JT McLaren)
NO
OFFI
сче
29/3.
AF
८५
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