HUD 243/8
SECRET
1986
219
071043 MDLIAN 1669
SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2109
OF 01123OZ JUNE 88
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
TOP COPY
Q DIST ?
هو
るい
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: OUR TELNOS 2046 AND 2047: PEKING TELNO 996
ON REFLECTION, WE SUGGEST THAT THE FINAL SECTION OF THE DRAFT SPEAKING NOTE IN OUR SECOND TUR SHOULD BE REPHRASED AS FOLLOWS:
BEGINS
SEEK THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES' COOPERATION IN ENSURING THAT ALL VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ARE TOLD CLEARLY, IF THEY LAND IN CHINA, THAT THEY SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO GO ON TO HONG KONG, WHERE THEY WILL BE TREATED AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND HVE NO CHANCE OF RESETTLEMENT. GRATEFUL IF THEY COULD BE ENCOURAGED RATHER TO RETURN TO VIETNAM AND
NOT ASSISTED IN TRYING TO GO ILLEGALLY TO HONG KONG.
ENDS
2. IN THE LIGHT OF PEKING'S NEWS, WE AGREE THAT WE SHOULD NOT FLOAT IN THE PRESS THE POINT ABOUT CHINESE ASSISTANCE TO BOAT PEOPLE AND THAT THE CHANGE OF POLICY, PLUS THE EVIDENCE WE HAVE, WOULD PROVIDE SUFFICIENT REASON FOR US TO RAISE THE ISSUE.
3. WE WILL SHORTLY BE CONSULTING YOU ON A DETAILED TIMETABLE FOR DIPLOMATIC ACTION ON THE PROPOSED CHANGE OF POLICY, ONCE APPROVED BY MINISTERS, AND WILL ALSO BE PREPARING DETAILED BACKGROUND AND DRAFT SPEAKING NOTES FOR USE BY POSTS. OUR PRESENT VIEW IS THAT THE BEST TIMING TO TALK TO THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WOULD BE WHEN BRIEFING THEM ON THE CHANGE IN POLICY. THIS WILL PROBABLY BE ON 14 JUNE.
4. MEANWHILE, WHEN JI PENGFEI, WHO ARRIVED TODAY, CAME TO GH FOR TEA THIS AFTERNOON, I TOUCHED ON THE COAST HOPPERS PROBLEM AND SAID THAT WE EXPECTED TO BE IN TOUCH, AND SEEKING THE CO-OPERATION OF THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES ABOUT IT, IN THE FAIRLY NEAR FUTURE. I ALSO SPOKE OF THE HEAVY INFLUX OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES RECENTLY AND SAID THAT
WE WERE REVIEWING PLICY OPTIONS FOR DEALING WITH IT.
WILSON
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