Hong Kong

Part of Prayers – in the House of Commons at 9:38 am on 15 July 1988.

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Photo of Mr Geoffrey Howe Mr Geoffrey Howe , East Surrey 9:38, 15 July 1988

With surgical precision my hon. Friend raises a point so important that it is the subject of my next paragraph.

In our bilateral contacts with the Vietnamese Government we have pressed for action. I took up the matter forcefully when I met the Vietnamese Foreign Minister in New York on 7 June. I am glad to say that the Vietnamese Government have now invited a team of British and Hong Kong officials to visit Hanoi and discuss the return of boat people from Hong Kong. These talks are expected to take place in the coming weeks. We do not know how much headway can be made and how soon, but this is a step in the right direction.

We have spoken, too, to the Chinese Government about this change of policy, and they have expressed full support for it. Other resettlement countries, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, also understand why we have taken this action.

In the meantime, we are studying the impact of the new policy with great care. So far there has been no significant slackening in the rate of arrival of boat people in Hong Kong, but there should be no doubt about the message. There is no future in Hong Kong for economic migrants: they should not put to sea from Vietnam.