CONFIDENTIAL
063161
MDHIAN 9233
PREVENT THE MOVEMENT OF VBPS TO HONG KONG. CHINA WAS, THEREFORE, ALSO ONE OF THE VICTIMS OF THE VBP PROBLEM IN THIS REGARD.
6. CHINA SUPPORTED WHATEVER MEASURES HMG TOOK WHICH WERE CONDUCIVE TO HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. WE SHOULD REST ASSURED THAT WE WOULD HAVE CHINA'S BACKING FOR ANY SUCH MEASURES. THE BRITISH SIDE SHOULD BE FIRM IN ENFORCING THEIR REPATRIATION SCHEMES AND SHOULD SHOULDER THEIR RESPONSIBILTY. IF THE BRITISH SIDE HESITATED, IT WOULD GIVE THE WRONG MESSAGE TO POTENTIAL VBPS WHO WOULD ONLY BE ENCOURAGED TO TRY TO MAKE FOR HONG KONG.
MY RESPONSE
7. I SAID THAT, WHILE I WELCOMED CHEN'S EXPRESSIONS OF SUPPORT FOR OUR POLICIES, AND HIS REITERATION OF CHINA'S POLICY THAT SHE DID NOT ALLOW VBPS TO TRAVEL TO HONG KONG VIA CHINA, I DID NOT AGREE WITH HIS ANALYSIS. THE PROBLEM OF THE INFLUX OF VBPS INTO HONG KONG WAS PARTLY SEASONAL IN CHARACTER. THE CAMPS THERE WERE FULL TO BURSTING. OUR REPATRIATION POLICIES WERE DESIGNED TO CLEAR THE CAMPS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND TO REMOVE VBPS BACK TO VIETNAM. HMG AND HKG WERE TAKING PART IN SUSTAINED DISCUSSION WITH THE OTHER PARTIES CONCERNED IN GENEVA. ALSO IN REGULAR CONTACT WITH THE US AND VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENTS. MR MAUDE HAD BEEN TO HANOI IN FEBRUARY TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEM.
8.
TAKING AN ANALOGY, THE PROBLEM WAS THAT HONG KONG HAD CAUGHT A COLD. ITS NEIGHBOURS WERE SAYING THAT THAT WAS HONG KONG'S BUT, FAULT AND THAT HONG KONG SHOULD GUARD AGAINST DRAUGHTS. AT THE SAME TIME, THE NEIGHBOURS WERE LEAVING THE DOOR WIDE OPEN AND THE DRAUGHTS CONTINUED. THE DOOR NEEDED TO BE CLOSED. THE FLOW OF VBPS TO HONG KONG THROUGH CHINA HAD TO BE STEMMED SO THAT THE CAMPS COULD BE CLEARED. THE PROBLEM HAD TO BE TACKLED AT ITS SOURCE. WE COULD PLAY, AND WERE PLAYING, OUR PART BUT IT WAS ESSENTIAL THAT THE CHINESE SHOULD PLAY THEIRS AS WELL.
9.
I HAD BEEN HEARTENED BY THE NEWS EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT CHINA HAD TAKEN MEASURES IN GUANGXI AND HAD TURNED BACK TO VIETNAM A NUMBER OF VBPS. BUT VBPS WERE FINDING NEW WAYS TO MAKE THEIR WAY TO HONG KONG. IT WAS ESSENTIAL TO PREVENT THEM FROM REACHING THE TERRITORY BY TRAVELLING THROUGH SOUTHERN CHINA OR BY COAST
HOPPING.
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