COSY FOR REGISTRATION
CONFIDENTIAL
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)
Cypher
D.
5 June, 1967.
R.
# 5
10152
213
2.
3
IMMEDIATE
CONFIDENTIAL
No. 775.
Addressed to Commonwealth Office.
Repeated
"Peking No. 310.
t:
11
W
"P.A. Singapore No. 162.
Washington No. 167. (Please pasa IMMEDIATE to Peking, PRIORITY to other two)
Hong Kong Disturbances,
You should know of some naval activities due during next two weeks which may draw broadsides from Chinese press:
O
(a)
H.M.S. BULWARK is to carry out an exercise from 5 9 June area of the Saikung Peninsula and the
A port shelter, 10-14 miles N.E. of Hong Kong. commando landing with helicopters will take place.
a.
(b) H.MAS. MELBOURNE aircraft carrier is to pay a visit
from 8-21 June with two other Australian ships, supply tanker and a frigate.
(c) Number of small U.S. ships in harbour, (at present 4)
will be 8 on 8 June and 9 on 9 June.
2. I think that these activities may have a good effect on local confidence; and especially since it has been public knowledge for some time that (a) and (b) have been planned. I
But the do not propose to interfere with any of them. following precautions have been taken:-
RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES No. 63
- 6 JUN 1967
(a)
A press release has emphasised that BULWARK exercise is purely routine. The scenario does not have any reference to current local circumstances. Only very limited activities will take place at night and then only in places far away from populated areas.
(b) Press release will point out that MELBOURNE is on a
cruise which began in March and that she has paid annual visits here since 1964.
(c) In order to avoid having an excessive number of U.S. ships in the harbour at the same time as (a) and (b) we have asked the Americans as a courtesy to stand down two of the four destroyers originally scheduled to come here at the same time as HORNET (my telegram 727).
HUA '/D
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