CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 061400Z FCO
TELNO 2595
OF 061145Z JULY 88
HKD 243/8 нко
TOP COPY a DIST 7
INFO PRIORITY BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, MANILA INFO PRIORITY JAKARTA, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, UKMIS GENEVA INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, CANBERRA, OTTAWA, TOKYO, HANOI INFO PRIORITY PEKING
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026770
MDHIAN 6226
HANOI TELNO 244 AND 250 AND YOUR TELNO 1784: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEIPLE: VIETNAMESE PROPOSAL FOR TALKS
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THIS IS A
I AGREE THAT WHATER LIES BEHIND IT OR COMES OF IT, SIGNIFICANT MOVE BY THE VIETNAMESE WHICH WE SHOULD PICK UP WITHOUT DEALY. BOTH FROM THE SUBSTANTIVE AND PRESENTATIONAL ANGLES WE
SHOULD TRY TO MATCH THE PROPOSED VIETNAMESE TIMING FOR TALKS. PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE THAT DISCUSSIONS ARE TO TAKE PLACE WILL IN ITSELF BE A HELP IN BOLSTERING THE CREDIBILITY OF OUR DETERRENT POLICY. MOREOVER, IF, AS SEEMS LIKELY, THE VIETNAMESE ARE PROPOSING TO BARGAIN WITH A NUMBER OF FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES, THE SOONER WE GET IN FIRST ON OUR OWN THE BETTER. (SECOND TUR).
2. AS REGARDS THE LEVEL OF OUR REPRESENTATION, I UNDERSTAND THE POLITICAL REASONS WHY YOU WOULD NOT WISH TO FIELD THE EQUIVALENT OF A VICE-FOREIGN MINISTER. HOWEVER I DO SEE GREAT ADVANTAGE IN OUR TEAM BEING LED AT HIGHER THAN HEAD OF DEPARTMENT LEVEL. IF WE DID AS YOU PROPOSE, I ASSUME THE VIETNAMESE WOULD REDUCE THEIR OWN REPRESENTATION. OUR CHANCES OF GETTING OFF TO A GOOD START AND REACHING SOME INITIAL DECISIONS WOULD BE REDUCED.
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3. I BELIEVE THAT THE MOST EFFECTIVE ARRANGEMENT WOULD BE FOR OUR TEAM TO BE LED AT UNDER-SECRETARY LEVEL, PERSUMABLY BY MCLAREN, WITH APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTAL SUPPORT. FROM HONG KONG I WOULD PROPOSE TO SEND THE POLITICAL ADVISER SECRETARY FOR SECURITY (BARNES) AND THE REFUGEE COORDINATOR (FRENCH). I SEE IMPORTANCE IN TERMS OF LOCAL HONG KONG PERCEPTION IN FIELDING A STRONG TEAM FROM HERE. REPRESENTATION AT DEPUTY SECRETARY LEVEL ALONE WOULD FAIL TO GIVE SUFFICIENT WEIGHT TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROBLEM.
4. IF FOR LEAVE OR OTHER REASONS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR MCLAREN TO LEAD THE TEAM, I SUGGEST THAT THE NEXT BEST ARRANGEMENT WOULD BE FOR THE TEAM TO BE LED BY THE POLITICAL ADVISER (WHO IS SENIOR GRADE),
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