CONFIDENTIAL
753
MDHIAN 1143
CHARTERING THE VESSEL WOULD BE US DOLLARS 5.45 MILLION FOR TWELVE MONTHS. THE PAPER ENVISAGES THE COSTS OF THE SHIP CHARTER BEING SHARED EQUALLY BY HMG/HKG.
WE SHALL STRESS TO EXCO THAT THE SWIFT TURNAROUND STRATEGY FOR 1990 IS DEPENDENT ON VIETNAMESE CO-OPERATION, BOTH IN ACCEPTING LARGER GROUPS BY SEA AND IN INCREASING THE RECEPTION CAPACITY IN VIETNAM. AS REGARDS THE SOUTH CHINA HOLDING CENTRE, WE SEE THIS AS A POTENTIALLY VALUABLE COMPONENT OF OUR OVERALL STRATEGY. IN THE EVENT OF DIRECT REPATRIATIONS BY SEA BEING TEMPORARILY DELAYED BY THE VIETNAMESE (FOR WHATEVER REASON), OR THE POSSIBILITY OF FUTURE REPATRIATION ACROSS THE SINO-VIETNAMESE LAND BORDER BECOMING A REALITY, SUCH A CENTRE COULD BE USED TO ACCOMMODATE SCREENED-OUT VBP EN ROUTE TO REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM. BUT WE DO NOT/NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE DIFFICULTIES OF GETTING THE CHINESE TO AGREE TO SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT.
5.
SUBJECT TO ANY COMMENTS YOU HANOI OR UKMIS GENEVA - MAY HAVE ON THE ABOVE, WE INTEND TO ISSUE THE EXCO PAPER EARLY NEXT WEEK FOR DISCUSSION ON 16 JANUARY.
WILSON
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
65
ΜΑΙΝ
63
VIETNAMESE REPATRIATION
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
FED
NEWS D
PS
PS/MR MAUDE
PS/LORD BRABAZON
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
MR BLATHERWICK
MR MCLAREN
MR MOSS
MR BEAMISH
ADDITIONAL
2
MR REEVES CABINET OFFICE NNNN
PRESS OFFICE NO 10
PAGE
2
CONFIDENTIAL
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