NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No.
Top Secret. Secret.
Confidential. Restriga. Unclassified.
DRAFT
To:-
As- de la Mare
Type 1 +
From
E Belland
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
1220*
1631;
Flags A & B
RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES 2.63
- 8 JUN 170/
Hong Kong: Visit of H.M.S. Bulwark
Froblem
Hong Kong Telegrams Nos. 777 and 780 Kattached) report accidental overflights
of Chinese territory by two helicopters taking
part in a training exercise from the Bulwark in the Colony. This raises two problems:-
(a) Should we apologise to the Chinese
People's Government for this error,
as suggested by the Govern?
(b) Should we advise the cancellation
of the remainder of the exercise?
Recommendation
2.
I recommend that:-
(a) we should not take any initiative
the Chinese Eovernment-
in raising this matter with
but should respond to any action
they may take along the lines set
out in the attached draft telegram
to Peking; and
(b) We should allow the exercise to con-
tinue but should ask the Ministry of
Defence to advise the C. in C. F.E.
that special precautions should be
taken to avoid similar incidents in
future.
Argument
W
3. We discussed this question at a meeting you called yesterday attended by representatives
97499 St.S.
For req.
Lin
616