seek their agreement to a revision of the inter-
pretative notes on the guide lines as follows:
(a) Visits of nuclear vessels should be spaced
at intervals of at least two months and the pre-
sent level of four a year should not in general
be exceeded. Strictly interpreted this would
mean that there should be no further visits by
nuclear vessels this year. But as this might be
erroneously interpreted by local Communists as a
complete suspension of such visits and exploited
accordingly, we are prepared to consider one
further visit in 1968.
(b) There should be no potentially controversial
visits in the two-week period following the
visit of a nuclear-powered vessel, strike carr-
ier, or helicopter or troop carrier.
(c) The Americans should give us the maximum
possible notice of the visits of major ships.
(a) Visits by "particularly controversial ships"
(defined as those which are nuclear-powered)
might in future last less than five days.
(e) Any future visit by the USS "Enterprise"
will have to be subject to the most careful
consideration.
(1) The need to avoid the undue concentration
of ships at any one time (Tomkins' letter from Washington of 12 July to Wilkinson).should be re-
emphasised. (g) It is desirable not to allow the dates of
ships' visits to be known longer in advance than
is absolutely necessary.
4. In view of your comment in paragraph 10 of
your telegram under reference we see no need to
raise the question of guide line F regarding
the placing of military contracts in Hong Kong.
SECRET