TNAG-2071-FCO40-2949-Vietnamese-boat-people-1990 — Page 52

CONFIDENTIAL

144635

MDHIAN 7024

(C) ASSISTANCE FROM THE CHINESE.

REQUESTS FOR CHINESE ASSISTANCE HAVE BEEN A CONSISTENT THEME IN OUR EFFORTS TO BRING THIS PROBLEM UNDER CONTROL. THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAVE TO SOME EXTENT RESPONDED POSITIVELY IN WORDS BUT WE HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THEY COULD DO FAR MORE IN DEEDS. THE SOUTH CHINA HOLDING CENTRE IDEA HAS ITS PROBLEMS BUT IT MIGHT BE ONE

ELEMENT IN A GENERAL REQUEST FOR HELP. IN THE FACE OF AN EMERGENCY WE MIGHT CONSIDER A MINISTERIAL LETTER TO LI PENG REQUESTING DISCUSSIONS ON CHINESE ASSISTANCE.

(D) HIGH LEVEL APPEALS TO THE U.S.

THE IDEA HERE WOULD BE TO FOLLOW UP OUR PRESSURE ON THE AMERICANS WITH A HONG KONG DELEGATION TRAVELLING TO WASHINGTON. ANOTHER POSSIBILITY MIGHT BE FOR ME TO REQUEST A MEETING WITH PRESIDENT BUSH TO PUT THE CASE FOR REPATRIATION AND ASSISTANCE. THE EFFORT ALONE WOULD HAVE POLITICAL BENEFITS HERE: BUT TO MAKE ANY SENSE WE WOULD HAVE TO BE REASONABLY SURE THAT I WOULD NOT RETURN EMPTY HANDED. WHAT COULD WE REASONABLY EXPECT THE AMERICANS TO COME UP WITH IF THEY WERE WELL INCLINED ? A SOFTER LINE ON THE MORATORIUM ? MONEY ?

(E) FIRST ASYLUM.

WE HAVE NO ENTHUSIASM FOR ANY VARIANT OF THE ENDING OF FIRST ASYLUM APPROACH. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE PRACTICABLE AND ANY ATTEMPT TO IMPLEMENT SUCH A POLICY COULD LEAVE US INTERNATIONALLY IN A WORSE POSITION THEN BEFORE. NONETHELESS, IT IS AN ISSUE WHICH MUST BE ADDRESSED. PERHAPS THE BEST GLOSS WE COULD PUT ON IT WOULD BE TO APPEAL FOR PRACTICAL OR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, OR FOR A NEW CONFERENCE, ON THE BASIS OF THE ARGUMENT THAT THE RETENTION OF FIRST ASYLUM CANNOT BE GUARANTEED ONCE OUR CAMP POPULATION HAS EXCEEDED, SAY, 60,000.

(F) REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE.

THE IDEA HERE WOULD BE TO LAUNCH AN APPEAL ON A NARROW FRONT AIMED

SPECIFICALLY AT THE EMERGENCY ESTABLISHMENT OF A REGIONAL HOLDING CENTRE. THE VIRES BEHIND THIS IDEA WOULD COME FROM THE CPA ITSELF (PARAGRAPH 14).

2. WE HAVE NOT ATTEMPTED TO REHEARSE THE ARGUMENTS FOR THESE IDEAS OR TO SET OUT THE MANY DIFFICULTIES. THE AIM IS SIMPLY TO FLOAT THEM AND TO SEEK VIEWS ON WHICH IDEAS MIGHT BE OF VALUE LATER IN THE YEAR. GRATEFUL FOR COMMENTS.

WILSON

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