CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1317
OF 030757Z AUGUST 88
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, HANOI
592
Saç
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
HKD 243/8
REC
VAUG 1988
131124
MDHIAN 9237
onu
MY TELNO 1297 AND YOUR TELNO 700: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
•
1 I FULLY APPRECIATE THE CONCERN ABOUT THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG
ARISING FROM THE CONTINUING INFLUX OF BOAT PEOPLE. I SHALL TAKE WHAT
OPPORTUNITIES I CAN TO REITERATE THE CLOSE INTEREST AND CONCERN OF
MINISTERS. SO WILL THE NEW HEAD OF CHANCERY WHEN HE CALLS ON WANG
YIHAO ON 4 AUGUST.
2. FOLLOWING THE ACTION RIORDAN TOOK WITH MS DU MING ON 1 AUGUST, XIE FENG, WED, MFA, TELEPHONED RIORDAN ON 2 AUGUST TO THANK HIM FOR THE UPDATED FIGURES AND TO REASSURE HIM THAT JIANG ENZHU HAD PASSED
ON THE INFORMATION I HAD GIVEN HIM ON 12 JULY TO THE 'RELEVANT AUTHORITIES'' AND THAT A ''THOROUGH INVESTIGATION'' WAS BEING
CARRIED OUT. THE MFA WOULD REVERT TO US AS SOON AS THE INVESTIGATION
WAS COMPLETED.
3. THIS UNSOLICITED CONFIRMATION OF WHAT MS DU TOLD RIORDAN ON 1
AUGUST SHOWS THAT THE MFA ARE KEEN TO REASSURE US THAT THEY TAKE THE
PROBLEM SERIOUSLY AND ARE MAKING PRACTICAL USE OF THE INFORMATION WE
HAVE PROVIDED THEM WITH. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT A FURTHER EARLY
REMINDER TO HURRY UP THEIR INVESTIGATION WILL NECESSARILY BY
PRODUCTIVE.
4. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FROM HERE TO ASSESS WHAT IS GOING ON ALONG THE
SOUTH CHINA COAST LINE. HONG KONG AND THE NCNA ARE BETTER PLACE TO
FIND OUT. AT PRESENT, THE CHINESE CENTRAL AUTHORITIES ARE ''INVESTIGATION'' THE SITUATION : IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT THEY WILL
ONLY CONSIDER WHAT MEASURES THEY MIGHT TAKE ONCE THE RESULTS OF THE
INVESTIGATION ARE KNOWN. GIVEN THE DIFFICULTIES OF DISTANCE AND COMMUNICATION THEY MUST FACE IN CONDUCTING THE INVESTIGATION, IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT THE MFA HAVE NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO LET ME HAVE A
READ OUT OF THEIR FINDINGS. BUT I TOO HAVE BEEN TOLD PRIVATELY THAT THE CHINESE SIDE TAKE THE PROBLEM ''SERIOUSLY''.
5. ON A POINT OF DETAILS, I SHOULD PREFER NOT TO PASS TO THE
CHINESE THE SEEMINGLY ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE IN PARA 3 OF HONG KONG
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CONFIDENTIAL
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