GR 500
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 070738Z SEP 82
CONFIDENTIAL
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 506 OF 7 SEPTEMBER
ник
HIK 4113
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG (PA'S OFFICE)
LEGAL IMMIGRATION TO HONG KONG
1. HEAD OF CHANCERY WAS CALLED IN BY ZHENG YAOWEN (WEST EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT, MFA) ON 6 SEPTEMBER TO RECEIVE THE CHINESE REPLY TO THE PROPOSALS PUT TO THEM LAST YEAR (PEKING TELNO 687 OF 16 NOVEMBER).
HKK 341/3 1981 ☹
see (18
19
HAKо26/105
2. ZHENG SAID THAT THE CHINESE HAD STUDIED OUR PROPOSALS SERIOUSLY. THEY HAD ALWAYS HELD THAT THE TRADITIONAL PRACTICE OF AND RIGHT TO
FREE VISITS BETWEEN INLAND AND HONG KONG RESIDENTS SHOULD BE
RESPECTED, AND THAT NO RIGID RESTRICTIONS SHOULD BE IMPOSED.
HOWEVER THEY HAD ALWAYS BEEN AWARE OF THE DIFFICULTY FACED BY HONG
KONG AND WOULD, AS ALWAYS, CONTINUE TO CONTROL THE NUMBER OF PERMITS
GIVEN TO INLAND RESIDENTS TO GO TO HONG KONG.
?
3. ZHENG CONTINUED THE CHINESE SIDE WILL IMPROVE ITS EXIT
PROCEDURES BY MAKING A STRICT DISTINCTION BETWEEN THOSE GIVEN
ONE-WAY PERMITS FOR SETTLEMENT AND THOSE GIVEN TWO-WAY PERMITS FOR
VISITING RELATIVES AND ASKING THE VISITORS TO RETURN AS SCHEDULED.
FROM NOW ON, IF ANY VISITORS SHOULD FAIL TO RETURN WITHIN THE TIME LIMIT, THE HONG KONG SIDE MAY SEND THEM BACK AND WE WILL ACCEPT THEM. HOWEVER, THE HONG KONG SIDE SHOULD TAKE CARE TO HANDLE THESE CASES
SO THAT NO INCIDENTS SUCH AS THE USE OF FORCE OR SUBJECTION OF THE
VISITORS TO INDIGNITIES WILL OCCUR, OTHERWISE IT WILL HURT THE
FEELINGS OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE''.
4. ZHENG ADDED THAT THE SUCCESS OF THESE ARRANGEMENTS WOULD DEPEND,
AS ALWAYS, UPON COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES., THIS HAD BEEN
GOOD SO FAR AND HE HOPED IT WOULD CONTINUE SO.
5. ATKINSON ECHOED ZHENG'S WORDS ON COOPERATION. HE SAID THAT THERE
WOULD BE NO SUBJECTION TO INDIGNITIES BUT, ON THE USE OF FORCE,
IT WAS ONLY FAIR TO POINT OUT THAT THERE WOULD BE OCCASIONS WHEN
PERSONS UNWILLING TO RETURN TO CHINA WOULD NEED TO BE ESCORTED
TO THE BORDER. ZHENG SAID THAT THIS WAS UNDERSTOOD.
6. ATKINSON ASKED WHETHER THE CHINESE AGREED TO OUR PROPOSAL THAT
ONE-WAY PERMITS SHOULD ACCOUNT FOR NO MORE THAN 50% OF THE TOTAL.
ZHENG SAID THAT THE PROPORTIONS WOULD PROBABLY VARY ACCORDING
TO DIFFERING PRESSURES AT DIFFERENT TIMES. ATKINSON ASKED ABOUT
OUR PROPOSAL THAT THE PERIOD OF VALIDITY OF TWO-WAY PERMITS
SHOULD NOT EXCEED THREE MONTHS. ZHENG SAID THAT THE CHINESE SIDE
''WOULD TAKE FULL CONSIDERATION OF (OUR) VIEWS''. ATKINSON REMARKED
THAT ONE MONTH SHOULD BE ENOUGH FOR A NORMAL FAMILY VISIT.,
SAID THAT THIS WAS UNDERSTOOD.,
CONFIDENTIAL
ZHENG
/7.
22
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.