RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1333
OF 160227Z AUGUST 93
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
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28
341/2
RECE"
ISTRY
155415 MDHIAN 1945
16 A
DES
INDEX
INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG, HANOI, TUKMIS GENEVA
27
Q DE
PEKING TELNO 1107
EX-CHINA VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
SUMMARY
1
..
WE ACCEPT INVITATION TO A MEETING IN GUANGZHOU ON 23 AUGUST ON ECVIIS. WE ALSO PUT NCNA ON NOTICE THAT THE PUBLIC WILL EXPECT REPATRIATION TO BEGIN VERY SHORTLY AFTER THIS, AND THAT WE WILL BE PRESSING HARD FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THIS EFFECT IN GUANGZHOU. ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENT, IF THE 1987 PRECEDENT IS ANY GUIDE.
DETAIL
2.
AN
WE ASKED THE NCNA TO GIVE US MORE DETAILS OF THE CHINESE PROPOSAL, REPORTED IN TUR, THAT THERE SHOULD BE DIRECT CONTACT BETWEEN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE CHINESE MINISTRIES WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR ECVIIS. THE NCNA WERE AT FIRST UNSIGHTED, BUT AFTER CHECKING WITH PEKING TOLD US THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WISHED TO INVITE A HONG KONG GOVERNMENT DELEGATION TO A MEETING IN GUANGZHOU ON 23 AUGUST. THE CHINESE DELEGATION WOULD COMPRISE OFFICIALS FROM THE MINISTRY OF CIVIL AFFAIRS, THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY AND THE PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES OF GUANGDONG, GUANGXI, HAINAN AND POSSIBLY FUJIAN. THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING WOULD BE TO DISCUSS WAYS OF RESOLVING THE PROBLEM AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE.
3.
WE HAVE NOW ACCEPTED THIS INVITATION, AND TOLD THE NCNA THAT THE HONG KONG TEAM WILL COMPRISE OFFICIALS FROM THE PA'S OFFICE,
WE ALSO EXPLAINED SECURITY BRANCH, AND IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT.
THAT THERE WAS BOUND TO BE A STRONG PUBLIC EXPECTATION THAT THE MEETING WOULD PROVIDE THE LONG-AWAITED BREAKTHROUGH ON RETURNING ECVIIS TO CHINA. THE HONG KONG DELEGATION WOULD BE PRESSING FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE MEETING SPECIFYING AN EARLY DATE, WITHIN A FEW DAYS, FOR LARGE SCALE REPATRIATIONS TO BEGIN. IN THIS CONTEXT, WE WELCOMED WANG GUISHENG'S CONFIRMATION TO COX THAT IN AT LEAST SOME CASES THE VERIFICATION PROCEDURES COULD BE
1
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