The World - News from Oct. 10, 1989

China for the first time has refused to accept Chinese illegal immigrants being returned from Hong Kong, a Hong Kong government spokesman said. A total of 70 were scheduled to be repatriated to the neighboring Chinese province of Guandong, but Chinese officials refused to accept them at the border. The Hong Kong spokesman said that talks are being conducted on the incident. Under a 1982 accord, China has routinely accepted illegal immigrants returned by Hong Kong. However, relations have been strained lately. Last week, Beijing denounced Hong Kong for permitting a Chinese swimmer to leave for the United States after it arrested him for overstaying his visa.