TNAG-2872-FCO40-4126-Hong-Kong-repatriation-of-ex-China-Vietnamese-illegal-immigr-1993 — Page 182

RESTRICTED

FM PEKING

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 974

RESTRICTED

34112

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

14 JUL 1993

Ś

053014

MDLIAN 4751

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

OF 130414Z JULY 93

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKREP JEG HONG KONG

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YOUR TELNO 451: EX-CHINA VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (ECVIIS)

1. COUNSELLOR TOOK ACTION AS INSTRUCTED IN TUR WITH ZHAO JIHUA (DIRECTOR, HKMAO, MFA) ON 13 JULY.

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2. ZHAO THANKED COUNSELLOR FOR PROVIDING THIS BRIEFING ON THE LATEST INFLUX OF VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS INTO HONG KONG. HE HAD SEEN SIMILAR REPORTS IN NEWSPAPERS BUT WAS UNAWARE OF THE EXACT DETAILS. HE UNDERTOOK TO REPORT OUR CONCERN TO THE RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THEY COULD INVESTIGATE. THE CHINESE AND BRITISH SIDES HAD COOPERATED WELL ON THE QUESTION OF VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FOR SEVERAL YEARS. MORE RECENTLY, BRITAIN AND VIETNAM HAD REACHED SOME RELEVANT AGREEMENTS AND THE SITUATION HAD IMPROVED. THE CHINESE POSITION ON VIETNAMESE

MIGRANTS WAS CLEAR AND THE BRITISH SIDE WAS WELL AWARE OF IT: THE ROOT CAUSE LAY IN VIETNAM. CHINA HAD ALWAYS ASKED THE HKG TO TAKE STRONG MEASURES TO STOP THE INFLUX OF VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS INTO HONG KONG. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES HAD ALWAYS TAKEN STRONG MEASURES TO PREVENT VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS FROM ENTERING HONG KONG BY SEA OR LAND ROUTES THROUGH CHINA.

3. WE SAID THAT IT WAS PARTICULARLY AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAT WE TRUSTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD AGREE TO TAKE THESE ECVIIS BACK VERY QUICKLY, IE WITHIN A FEW DAYS. WE HOPED THAT THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES WOULD NOT FEEL IT NECESSARY TO CONDUCT LENGTHY INVESTIGATIONS ON EACH INDIVIDUAL. ZHAO REPLIED THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL CASE WOULD HAVE TO BE EXAMINED AND SCREENED BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY LIVED IN CHINA. WE SAID THAT THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE MUCH DOUBT IN THESE CASES: URGENT ACTION WAS NOW REQUIRED TO STEM A POSSIBLE INFLUX. WE URGED THE MFA TO INTERVENE IN THIS SENSE. ZHAO AGREED TO REPORT OUR REPRESENTATIONS.

MCLEAN

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