TNAG-2063-FCO40-2941-Vietnamese-boat-people-repatriation-1990 — Page 34

CONFIDENTIAL

06161 MDHIANG 233

CHEN'S RESPONSE

THE

CHEN THANKED ME FOR THE INFORMATION I HAD JUST GIVEN HIM. THE TWO SIDES, SHOULD, INDEED COOPERATE SINCE THE PROBLEM CONCERNED HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY NOT ONLY NOW, BUT ALSO BEYOND 1997. CHINA HAD NOTED THAT, LAST DECEMBER, BRITISH SIDE HAD INTRODUCED MANDATORY REPATRIATION. FOLLOWING THE MANDATORY RETURN OF 51 VBP'S, CHINA HAD NOTICED THAT, FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD FOLLOWING THEIR REMOVAL FROM HONG KONG, THE INFLUX OF BOAT PEOPLE INTO HONG KONG HAD DECREASED. THIS SHOWED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE'S ATTITUDE AND APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM WAS ESSENTIAL. CHINA BELIEVED THAT,

CHINA BELIEVED THAT, IF HKG WAS FIRM IN ITS DETERMINATION TO CARRY OUT MANDATORY REPATRIATION, THE INFLUX OF VBP'S WOULD FURTHER DECREASE. BUT IF HKG TOLERATED VBP'S STAYING ON IN HONG KONG, THE RESULT WOULD BE JUST THE OPPOSITE. THE DECEMBER REPATRIATION OPERATION HAD PRODUCED QUITE GOOD RES- ULTS. BUT, FOLLOWING THAT ONE-OFF OPERATION, MANDATORY REPAT- RIATION HAD COME TO A STANDSTILL. CHINA WAS, FRANKLY, QUITE WORRIED THAT THIS WOULD SIGNAL TO POTENTIAL VBP'S THAT THERE WOULD BE NO PROBLEM IN THEIR TRAVELLING TO HONG KONG. BRITISH SIDE HAVE THE DETERMINATION TO CONTINUE THE PROCESSES OF MANDATORY AS WELL AS VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION?

DID THE

BUT

5. CHINA AND BRITAIN HAD A COMMON INTEREST IN THE MATTER. CHINA'S PRIMARY CONCERN WAS FOR HONG KONG'S CURRENT STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. CHINA HOPED THE PROBLEM WOULD BE SORTED OUT WELL BEFORE 1997 AND THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD REMOVE OBST- ACLES AND CONTINUE TO PRESS AHEAD WITH ITS REPATRIATION SCHEMES. CHINA WAS AWARE THAT WE FACED SOME DIFFICULTIES WITH THE AMERICANS. CHEN APPRECIATED THE REMARKS HE UNDERSTOOD MRS THATCHER TO HAVE MADE TO THE EFFECT THAT IF THE US COULD NOT AGREE TO OUR REPATRIATION MEASURES, THEY SHOULD THEMSELVES TAKE THE VBP'S. THIS SHOWED THAT HONG KONG WAS UNDER THE CONTROL OF BRITISH ADMINISTRATION AND THAT HMG HAD THE RESPON- SIBILITY TO RUN HONG KONG WELL AND TO SOLVE THE VBP PROBLEM. US INTERFERENCE IN THE MATTER WAS NOT JUSTIFIED. CHINA'S POSITION WAS CLEAR AND CONSISTENT. PREMIER LI PENG AND OTHER CHINESE LEADERS HAD MADE THAT POSITION VERY CLEAR ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. IN SHORT, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ABSOLUTELY DID NOT SUPPORT THE

IT MOVEMENT OF VBP'S TO HONG KONG VIA THE SOUTH CHINA COAST. WAS WITHOUT QUESTION THAT CHINA'S DETERMINATION WAS VERY FIRM ON THIS. CHINA HAD ADOPTED MANY MEASURES IN THE SOUTHERN PROVINCES

TO HELP AND HAD DEVOTED LARGE MANPOWER AND MATERIAL RESOURCES

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