however until the middle of 1969, at the earliest.
(c) Other large ships could be classified broadly as follows:
(1) "particularly controversial" ships, 1.e. those which were
nuclear-powered;
(11) "potentially controversial" ships, i.e. strike carriers;
(ii) other larze ships.
The Governor believed that the significance of these types of
vessels had been overestimated and that the local Communists in
Hong dong made an issue of a visit only if there had been prior
press interest regarðing the activities of the vessel in ques-
tion in Vietnam waters. The Governor pointed out that the Com-
muniste did not distinguish between visiting vessele of varying
eizes, nor did they make an issue of one type rather than another
t for nuclaer-powered vessels. On the basis of the above
vernon ergued that the length of the gap between visita of
major units he no sinificnca in Chinese eyess and recommended
that a iznificant gap was unnecessary, although he conceded that
the overlapping in Hong Kong of large chips would continue to be
the
;
avoided.
(1) The Governor agreed that the time was not right formally to
rovise the guidelines and tt arrangements for suitable spacing
of the visits of nuclear vessels could be negotiated locally
with the Americana.
(૭) The Governor emphasise that there was no boeie for allega-
tions thet Hong Kong was being used by the United States 23 a
logistics base and no revision of the guideline of this point
was therefore required.
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