CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 3064
OF 1710OOZ AUGUST 88
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
MKD 243/8
RECEIV
INL
17 AUG 1988
CICL
ons
689
170412 MDLIAN 0238
TOP COPY O CIST ?
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: CHINA ANGLE
1. INTERVIEWS WITH VIETNAMESE IN THREE BOATS WHICH LEFT NORTH VIETNAM BETWEEN 19 JUNE AND 25 JULY HAVE GIVEN US A FURTHER INDICATION OF THE DEGREE OF CHINESE INVOLVEMENT IN THEIR PASSAGE. ALL THREE BOATS CALLED IN ON CHINESE PORTS BETWEEN FOUR AND SEVEN OCCASIONS IN MAKING THEIR WAY TO HONG KONG. TWO OF THEM HAD BEEN INSPECTED BY CHINESE OFFICIALS AT BEIHAI AND DIEN BAI WHERE THEY WERE REPROVISIONED WITHOUT BEING CHARGED ANYTHING. AT DIEN BAI CHINESE OFFICIALS ALSO REPLACED ONE OF THE BOATS WHICH WAS LEAKING WITH ANOTHER SEAWORTHY ONE. THIS ALSO WITHOUT CHARGE.
2. NCNA HAVE HOWEVER RESPONDED POSITIVELY TO OUR REQUEST THAT RADIO PEKING CARRY HKG MESSAGES ON THEIR SERVICE BEAMED AT VIETNAM. WHILE THEY SAY THEY HAVE OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS IN FACT ALREADY CARRIED A NUMBER OF STRAIGHT NEWS ITEMS, THEY HAVE NOW OFFERED TO USE TAPES PROVIDED BY US. THIS IS A HELPFUL DEVELOPMENT. DPA GAVE THE FIRST TAPE, CARRYING A SHORT MESSAGE IN VIETNAMESE ON HKG'S POLICY, TO NCNA YESTERDAY.
FORD
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
108
DISTRIBUTION
111
.VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HK
FED
NEWS
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
PS
PS/MRS CHALKER
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR PS MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
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