TNAG-2871-FCO40-4125-Hong-Kong-immigration-policy-and-statistics-1993 — Page 16

CONFIDENTIAL

152005

MDLIAN 3485

co-operation over the various schemes relating to immigration and visits from the mainland. Furthermore, Chinese Vice Minister for Public Security, Tian Qiyu, has been reported here as telling Hong Kong journalists on 12 October that China did not envisage any increase in quote (by implication from the agreed figure of 75). It therefore seems advisable to try to find out more about the reasons for what has happened before deciding on a definitive reaction. If possible, our objective should be to get the scheme quickly back on to an agreed basis. The Chinese quota of 105 is after all only marginally greater than the increased quota which we had ourselves proposed (although it is not yet clear how many of the additional entrants fall within our preferred categories).

9.

Subject to you views and those of Peking, we therefore propose to avoid recrimination at this stage, in public and in private.

We will however keep pressing for confirmation that the Chinese are not trying to change the agreed nature of the scheme. We will also seek further details of the categories to whom the Chinese are awarding the additional 30 permits. It would be helpful if Peking could reinforce our efforts with the MFA, drawing particularly on the points in para 4 above.

PATTEN

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

.HK POLICY

HKD

PUSD

FED

57

DISTRIBUTION

64

NTCD

PLANNERS

RAD

PS

LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT LEGAL ADVISERS//MISS BROOKS

NEWS D

PS/MR GOODLAD

SIR J COLES

MR HUM

ADDITIONAL

7

CAOFF//SIR R BRAITHWAITE (DIO)

CAOFF//MISS NEVILLE-JONES

CAOFF//MR SIBSON

PS NO 10.

Winium

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CONFIDENTIAL