Sir A. Galsworthy
8.2
Flag
Flag
165
165
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Flag TC 80
Flag, ed 'D'
USE OF HONG KONG BY U.S. NAVAL VESSELS.
In our joint submission with the Foreign Office on the reply to be returned to the recent Chinese Nite of Frotest about the use of Hong Kong by U.3. naval vessels we mentioned that visits of American naval vessels to Hong Kong have steadily increased since 1964 and were running in 1966 at a rate slightly above that envisaged in the guide- lines agreed with the Americans to cover their use of facilities in Hong Kong. We said that we proposed to take this up with Hong Kong and to consider whether any action need be taken with the Americans at this stage.
2.
In your minute of 22nd March you wished to be kept in touch with developments. The Minister of State was also anxious about this and thought that if necessary, it might be taken up at ministerial level.
3.
In our telegram No. 632 we put this point to Hong Kong, enquiring whether they thought we should pursue with the Americans the question of more precise arrangements to control the number of such visits. In their telegram No. 426 in reply Hong Kong have said that they expect no difficulty in keeping visits for 1967 to no more than the 1966 level through local liaison machinery that was set up last year to discuss this sort of problem.
4.
It is clear that the Chinese are very carefully watching the visits of U.S. ships to Hong Kong and they must not be allowed to exceed the limits agreed in the guidelines, namely not more than 20 above the 1964 figure of 315.
The number of visits for the first quarter of 1967 was 94 and (although this shows an increase of 12 on the corresponding figure for the first quarter of 1966) if this level were maintained pro rata for the rest of the year, the total would show a decrease of 15 visits on the 1966 figure and would be below the permissible limit of 378 allowed by the guide- lines. It is recommended therefore that the Governor should be requested to ensure through his local liaison machinery that this limit is observed and to report immediately should there be any indication at any time that it is likely to be exceeded.
5.
A separate but connected matter is the question of publicity for US. warships visiting Hong Kong. This point was also covered in the guide-lines to the extent:-
(i) that naval vessels publicly announced in the
Press or radio as having been engaged in recent action off Vietnam should not (except by prior clearance) visit Hong long direct from areas in which they have been recently engaged in active operations;
(ii) that in any case publicity about the participa-
tion in active operations of any vessel
scheduled to visit Hong Kong should be kept to a minimum during the period preceding the visit.
However, the above relates only to periods before visits to Hong Kong. The American Commander-in-Chief, Pacific, has undertaken to make sure that no ships' names are publicised as regards operations in North Vietnam waters within 30 days of a visit to Hong Kong. But again it is thought that the Commander-in-Chief was thinking only of periods before such visits took place.