TNAG-1795-FCO40-2555-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 352

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UNSURPRISINGLY HOWEVER (GIVEN OVERALL U.S. POLICY TOWARD VIETNAM) IT GIVES NO GROUNDS FOR BELIEVING THAT THE U.S. WOULD SUPPORT "FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO RETURNEES OR OTHER SUPPORT/WELFARE PROPOSALS,

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9. IF, AS PREDICTED IN 0.BK96024, ASEAN ADOPTS THE CHA-AM MEETING AND ELEMENTS OF THE U.5. PAPER AS THE FRAMEWORK FOR A REGIONAL APPROACH TO THE VIETNAMESE OUTFLOW, THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE A SIGNIFICANT GAP BETWEEN THE POSITION OF THE VIETNAMESK GOVERNMENT AND THAT OF THE COUNTRIES MOST DIRECTLY AFFECTED.

THIS HOWEVER MAY BE A NECLUSARY PRICE FOR PRESERVING CONSENSUS AMONG REGIONAL AND RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES AND CONTINUING TO ACHIEVE CONVERGENCE TOWARDS AN APPROACH MORE LIKELY TO ELICIT VIETNAMESE COOPERATION.

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