TNAG-2506-FCO40-3647-Official-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1992 — Page 33

CONFIDENTIAL

HKCC26/4

160641

MDHIAN 8338

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 63

OF 08113OZ JANUARY 92

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, HANOI

@DISTY DIG.

HANOI FOR LORD CAITHNESS VISITING

MY 6 IPTS: MEETINGS WITH LU PING, 6 JANUARY: SECURITY AND CROSS-BORDER ISSUES.

VIOLENT CRIME

1. I REFERRED TO THE INCREASE IN VIOLENT CRIME IN HONG KONG. I WAS PLEASED BY THE CONTACTS BETWEEN OUR OWN POLICE AND THE GUANGDONG PUBLIC SECURITY BUREAU. THESE SHOULD BE FURTHER

DEVELOPED.

SMUGGLING

2.

SMUGGLING REMAINED A PROBLEM. RECENTLY THERE HAD BEEN A NUMBER OF DISTURBING INCIDENTS. I DID NOT WANT A PUBLIC ARGUMENT ABOUT THESE. STILL LESS DID I WANT A RISK OF AN EXCHANGE OF FIRE.

I HAD HEARD THAT THERE WAS A UNIFIED COMMAND ON THE CHINESE SIDE IN MIRS BAY WHERE WE EXPERIENCED LESS PROBLEMS, BUT NO UNIFIED COMMAND IN DEEP BAY WHERE MORE OF THE INCIDENTS OCCURRED. I ASKED

LU WHETHER THIS WAS TRUE AND IF SO WHETHER HE COULD LOOK INTO THE

MATTER.

3. LU SAID THAT THE PROBLEM OF SMUGGLING HAD AROUSED THE

ATTENTION OF THE STATE COUNCIL. SOME TIME AGO INSTRUCTIONS HAD BEEN SENT TO THE LOCALITIES TO TAKE MEASURES TO COMBAT IT. GREAT EFFORTS HAD BEEN MADE AND THE SITUATION HAD IMPROVED. LU SAID HE WOULD INVESTIGATE THE QUESTION OF COMMAND IN DEEP BAY. IF NECESSARY, SOME NEW MEASURES WOULD BE ADOPTED. BOTH SIDES SHOULD CONTINUE TO CO-OPERATE ON THE ISSUE. IF PROBLEMS AROSE, THEY SHOULD BE HANDLED PRIVATELY. MAKING PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE INCIDENTS HAD BEEN INVESTIGATED WAS NOT HELPFUL.

4. I EXPLAINED HOW THE HONG KONG MEDIA LISTENED TO THE POLICE RADIO. WE DID NOT OURSELVES DELIBERATELY PUT OUT INFORMATION, BUT IT OFTEN BECAME AVAILABLE FROM THIS SOURCE.