TNAG-2872-FCO40-4126-Hong-Kong-repatriation-of-ex-China-Vietnamese-illegal-immigr-1993 — Page 106

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FM PEKING TO DESKBY

TELNO 1080

0513OOZ FCO

OF 05094OZ AUGUST 93

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RECEIVE 341/2.

9 AU 1993

DESK C

STRY

EGISTRY aton Taken

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, ROUTINE UKREP, JLG HONG KONG INFO ROUTINE HANOI, UKMIS GENEVA

يكم

YOUR TELNO 735 TO HONG KONG : EX-CHINA VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL

IMMIGRANTS

SUMMARY

1.

22

PARALLEL ACTION TAKEN WITH MFA. COMMITMENTS FROM THE CHINESE.

SYMPATHY BUT NO NEW

24

133300

MDHIAN 1137

DETAIL

2. COUNSELLOR TODAY (5 AUGUST) TOOK PARALLEL ACTION WITH THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE MFA HKMAO, WANG GUISHENG, DRAWING ON THE SPEAKING NOTE USED BY MR LENNOX-BOYD AND PLACING PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE NEED FOR AN IMMEDIATE ONE-OFF REPATRIATION AS WE

HAD ADVOCATED ON 13 JULY.

3.

WANG SAID THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISED THE PROBLEM, WAS WORKING ON IT AND HOPED IT COULD FIND PRACTICAL MEASURES TO HELP SOLVE IT: BUT HIS PERSONAL VIEW WAS THAT IT WOULD TAKE SOME

TIME.

4. WE EXPRESSED APPRECIATION BUT PRESSED OUR POINT: AN IMMEDIATE GESTURE WOULD SEND AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO THE EX-VIETNAM CHINESE IN GUANGXI AND ALSO SHOW THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THAT THE CHINESE AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS COULD COOPERATE QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY.

5. WANG SAID THAT RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS IN GUANGXI PROVINCE WERE TAKING MEASURES TO STOP THE INFLUX. THIS WAS A CLEAR GESTURE. QUICK ACTION DID NOT NECESSARILY LEAD TO QUICK RESULTS. HE ALSO QUOTED THE MFA PRESS STATEMENT OF 22 JULY.

6. WE SAID THAT THE WORSENING SITUATION, WITH OVER 2000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HAVING ARRIVED SINCE 13 JULY, DEMANDED VERY SPEEDY REPATRIATION. A PROCESS OF ELABORATE ENQUIRIES INTO FAMILY BACKGROUND ETC WOULD NOT MEET THE BILL. WE HAD MUCH EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA. WE ALSO ASKED WHAT THE MFA SPOKESMAN HAD IN MIND WHEN

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