TNAG-2066-FCO40-2944-Vietnamese-boat-people-and-China-1990 — Page 151

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China and return them over the land border. We could stipulate that an HKG Official should be present to make the scheme more palatable here. A programme of repatriation on this basis would begin at some predetermined point agreed with the Chinese eg when the flow of

volunteers drops below 500 a month, or when the total backlog of volunteers drops below 500.

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4. There are advantages but also considerable difficulties in this idea which we would need to work through with the Hong Kong

authorities. But there is no reason why we should not open negotiations with the Chinese as soon as possible. The Ambassador's

recent call on Chen Ziying (Peking telno 706, copy attached) offers

an opening: Chen assured Sir Alan that we would have China's backing

for whatever measures we take. We could now revert to the Chinese

with a specific proposal.

5. Grateful for views.

Charles Harwell

CCD Haswell

:

I see menit in this proposal if all else fails (no Guam, no change in us policy, no topping-up;

no Vietrainese agreement on force). Above all would circumvent the Vietnamese objection I don whether the Viet's would contest thy Joint wit to Chinese across their common 7 and frontiu. But there are fino-British implications and we would take flak for regatriating Vietnamese

into the Fender maw

Tiananmen China.

But work exploring / considering furter.

ARD

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