Cypher/Cat A
SECRET
PRIORITY HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Telno. 18
SECRET
4 January 1968
Addressed to C.0. telegram No. 18 of 4 January Repeated for information to:
Peking and Washington.
Your telegram 5: Visit of Sea Dragon.
145
Hw
We had already indicated to the U.S. Navy that there would be no objection to the visit subject of course to the usual warning that we might have to reconsider in the light of events immediately prior to the visit.
2.
Since confrontation started there has been very little comment in the Communist Press about U.S. Naval visits generally, and there seems no reason for us to raise objections now to a routine visit by a nuclear powered submarine.
F.O. please Priority Peking 5 and Washington 3.
Sir D. Trench
[Repeated as requested]
C.O.
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
H.K.D.
Atlantic Dept.
F.0.
F.E.D.
American Dept.
77777
REC
ARCHI
4 JAN 1968
HWA 2%,
SECRET
LAST
REF
144
NEX..
REF.
1460