TNAG-1421-FCO40-1904-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 75

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We hoped this could be resolved.

Fabius in August, the Prime

Problem of lorry quotas remained.

Following her conversation with M.

Minister would probably wish to raise this question again at the

summit.

Anglo/Frenc? Summit

4. Mr Dain said that he had conveyed our initial thoughts on the programme and participation to M. de Lacoste. These had not yet

been approved by No 10 Downing Street.

a

November. This might leave 1

The

Queen had offered to receive President Mitterrand at 5 pm on 18

leave little time to spare in the afternoon. We were considering how this could be used and would welcome French

suggestions.

Vietnamese Refugees i Hong Kong

5. PUS said he had sited Hong Kong some months previously and

seen the refugee cam s. They were crowded though conditions were

good. Refugees had to stay in the camps until they could be

resettled outside Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government was making

major efforts to resolve this problem. UK would be taking an extra

500 refugees who would normally fall outside Home Office criteria

for acceptance. We were asking our friends to help.

6. M. Ross said as an Asian specialist and someone who had lived in

Hong Kong he appreciated the problem. The French would like to help

but France had taken 110,000 SouthEast Asian refugees since 1975,

including 30,000 Vietnamese. The Vietnamese in Hong Kong were not generally Francophone and had no family ties in France. They would

thus find it difficult to integrate into the French community. with

French connections. Mr Dain understood that an estimated 130-140 of

the refugees in Hong Kong had French connections. M. Ross said

that if there were refugees who were Francophone and had family

connections in France then it was possible that their cases could be followed up favourably. The PUS undertook to provide details.

No-Passport Excursions

7. PUS asked what impressions the French had of the effects of the

new arrangements. He noted there was to be a review later in 1985.

Mr Eggar was taking a close interest. He hoped ways could be found

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