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CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELNO 1142
OF 04152OZ MAY 88
AND TO ROUTINE WASHINGTON
كاله
ita
161272 MDLOAN 7230
YOUR TELNO 1660 : VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
THE REPORT OF MCLAREN'S MEETING WITH SIGUR ON 22 APRIL IS ON ITS WAY
TO YOU BY BAG.
THE PASSAGES THAT PERTAIN TO HONG KONG ARE REPEATED BELOW:
QUOTE
INDO-CHINA
I SAID THAT CONTINUED SOVIET SUPPORT FOR VIETNAM'S OCCUPATION OF
CAMBODIA MADE NO SENSE, A POINT WHICH THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAD
MADE MORE THAN ONCE TO SHEVARDNAZE. IT INTERFERED WITH SOVIET
RELATIONS WITH ASEAN AND CHINA, AND WAS VERY COSTLY. SIGUR AGREED : HE WOULD ENCOURAGE ROGACHEV TO PRESS THE VIETNAMESE TO RESPOND
POSITIVELY TO SIHANOUK'S PROPOSALS. HE ASKED IF INDIA WOULD SEEK
GREATER INVOLVEMENT. WE SAID WE THOUGHT THE INDIANS WOULD LIKE
THE UK AND USSR TO RECONVENE THE GENEVA CONFERENCE, IN WHICH THEY MIGHT THEN SEEK A LEADING ROLE. I POINTED OUT THAT THE VIETNAMESE
MUST REALISE THEIR REQUESTS FOR WESTERN AID COULD ONLY BE MET IF
THEY WITHDREW FROM CAMBODIA.
SIGUR RULED OUT US AID, BUT SAID THE US WOULD PLAY A CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE IN BRINGING VIETNAM BACK INTO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY,
ONCE A SATISFACTORY SOLUTION HAD BEEN FOUND IN CAMBODIA.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
I REVIEWED THE WORSENING SITUATION IN HONG KONG AND THE FUTURE
OPTIONS FOR THE TERRIROTY IN DEALING WITH THE INFLUX FROM VIETNAM, INCLUDING THE POSSIBLE INTRODUCTION OF A SCREENING PROCESS. WE ACKNOWLEDGED, AND WERE GRATEFUL FOR THE HELP GIVEN BY THE US IN THE PAST, BUT HOPED THAT THE US WOULD NONETHELESS BE ABLE TO TAKE MORE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG THAN THEY CURRENTLY WERE DOING.
SIGUR PREDICTABLY RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT THE UK COULD SET AN EXAMPLE BY TAKING MORE ITSELF (I EXPLAINED THE PRACTICAL AND
POLITICAL CONSTRAINTS). SIGUR SAID THE US HAD JUST RECEIVED A
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