SCR 15/5061/4911
156
| CONFIDENTIAL RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES No.31
30 JAN 1903
25th January, 1968
I Thwin thin i frua
Visits of U. S. Vessels to Hong Kong
There is an article in today's Wen Wai Pao which may be of some significance.' In recent weeks we have had the occasional mall item in the main communist papers grumbling about the numbers of U.S. vestols. The last one appeared on 23 January when the nuclear submarine "Sea Dragon" put into port. The iten did little more than record its presence and say that it could not but arouse the closest attention of compatriots in Hong Kong. This is very much on the lines of the periodical grimbles væ usod to get before confrontation.
2.
Today's item in the Wen Wei Pao however is a "special ropert” (which we take to be two stops dan fram en editorial). It refers to the arrival of the "Goa Dragon" and the "Koarsage", a helicopter carrier, but then goos on to discuss the reaction in Japan to the current visit of the "Interpriso". It refers in particular to the demonstrations outside the
"When U.S. U.S. naval base and the U.S. Embassy. It concludes es follows imperialists' vessels come into Hong Kong to instigate provocation the Hong Kong British authorities always glibly say that they come to Hong Kong for rest and recreation but they do not deceive anybody. At a time when patriotic compatriots in Hong Kong are prosecuting a thunderous anti-British anti-violence struggle to have a large number of U.S. vessels arriving in the harbour fully exposes the unspeakably evil ains of American imperialism and the Hong Kong British authorities. It will arouse even greater hate for U.S. imperialisa and the Hong Kong British authorities on the part of compatriots in Hong Kong."
3.
The possibly significant thing about this item is that in the past the comunist papars hero soem to have boon careful to separate their their little crumbles about U.S. ships from reports of demonstrations and rioting in Japan over the visits of U.S. vessels. I cannot quote chapter and verse but I am fairly sure that even where the sumo vessels have been involved they have never connected visits to Hong Kong with visits to Japan. It remains to be seen whether today's special report is an indication of possible action in the future or merely a response to the coincidence of the "Koersago" and "Soa Dragon".
44.
I am copying this letter to Wilford in Washington and Denson
in the Foreign Office.
(E.T. Davios)
Assistant Political Advisor.
P. Cradock, Esq., C.M.G.,
Office of the British Chargé d'Affaires, PEKING.
CONFIDENTIAL