CHINA has vowed to explore ways to press the British Government to settle the Vietnamese refugees and boat people issue in the territory before 1997.
Speaking at a weekly press conference yesterday, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said the Chinese Government would take back those Vietnamese boat people stranded in Hong Kong who were found to have lived on the mainland before they came to the territory.
Citing the comprehensive programme of actions decided by the United Nations in 1989, Chen Jian said Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong should not be settled in the territory and that the problem should be resolved by the end of 1995.
'The British Hong Kong Government has the responsibility to settle this issue by the end of 1995 instead of leaving the burden to the future Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,' he said.
'We will seek ways to urge the British side to settle this issue no later than the end of 1995,' he said, adding China was aware of the long delay to a solution.
In response to Hong Kong's assertion that some of the refugees are ethnic Vietnamese from China, Mr Chen said the Beijing Government was willing to take back those 'few people' who were identified as people who 'used to live in China and also willing to stay in China'.
