CHINESE IMMIGRANTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27212, 15 October 1949, Page 6

CHINESE IMMIGRANTS

APPEAL FOR RELAXATION OF REGULATIONS WIVES AND FAMILIES PA WELLINGTON, Oct. 14. “ With Communist China coming closer to Canton and Hongkong, I hope the Government will reconsider the present situation and allow more of the wives and families of Chinese m New Zealand to come to the Dominion.” This was stated to-day by the, Chinese Anglican missioner, the Rev. Cheung Wing-ngok. Most of the Chinese in New Zealand come from those two cities, he said. The Chinese here were Nationalist, not Communist, and there was no fear of Communist infiltration through the Chinese. There were 1600 or 1700 Chinese residents in the Dominion with their relatives living abroad. Some of the men were worried about the Communist advance as they did not know what would happen to their relatives, added Mr Cheung. The Customs Department confirmed that no adult male Chinese had been allowed to come to New Zealand as permanent residents since 1928. Those resident in New Zealand had been able to visit China and return. Since 1935 10 permits a year had been available to allow the wives and minor children of New Zealand-born Chinese to come to the Dominion, and since 1940 five permits a year had been available to allow naturalised Chinese to bring their families to the Dominion, with extension in both cases in 1947 to include fiancees as well as wives. There are, however, very few naturalised Chinese.