TNAG-2065-FCO40-2943-Vietnamese-boat-people-and-China-1990 — Page 98

布政司署

香港ド亞川軍道

本署檔號 Our Ref.: PA SCR 5/4841/88

EU

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD HONG KONG

14 March 1990

來函檔號 Your Ref.:

нків 273 /13

RECEIVED

perd2%2

C O Pigott, Esq.,

03.APR 1990

British Embassy,

Peking

Dear Carter

Border Crossers

I called in Shu Jianping of NCNA on 14 March and spoke to him about three recent cases which were of great concern to us.

The first concerned a boat-load who had stopped off and had been checked by Chinese officials no less than seven times. On the final occasion they had been given shelter while they waited for more favourable winds. The second concerned a boat-load of 91 Vietnamese who had stopped off in Qi Sha from 29 December to 10 February. It would appear that this boat, like the one DPA had raised with Chen Guoping on 13 March, was one that we had earlier asked the Chinese to investigate when we had heard reports that it was stopped on the south China coast. We had raised the case then with NCNA on 7 February. They had replied on 14 February that after a full investigation no such boat was discovered. It appeared in fact that the boat had left on 10 February. We hoped that in future no such boats would be allowed to remain so long in Chinese ports but would be returned to Vietnam. The three cases concerned a boat-load which had been ship-wrecked at Nan Din Dao. The Vietnamese had then been provided with a new boat by Chinese officials and had carried on to Hong Kong. It was of obvious concern to the Hong Kong Government that some officials were apparently not carrying out the instructions from Peking. I asked Shu to report these matters urgently to the relevant authorities.

Shu repeated that it was not Chinese policy to assist Vietnamese boats. The reports we passed on to NCNA were all forwarded to the Chinese authorities. When there was evidence of official involvement this was investigated. He then made the routine point that the border and coastline were long and the Chinese needed fast in-shore vessels to counter this activity.

/I should be..

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