RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES No.21
17 JUN 1968
CYPH.R/CAT A
CONFIDENTIAL
FLASI HONG ỐNG
TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
208
TOP (COPY
COPY AND HI
TLE AM NO.762
CONFIDENTIAL
15 JUNE 1968
ADDRESSED CO TELNO 762 OF 15TH JUNE RFI PEKING PA SINGAPORE AND
WASHINGTON.
204A
PEKING TELEGRAM 562: U.S. NAVAL VISITS.
'
''TICONDEROGA WILL HAVE TO SAIL FROM SUBIC (WHERE SHE ARRIVES
TODAY) FOR HONG KONG ON 17TH JUNE IF SHE IS TO CARRY OUT HER
VISIT AS PLANNED. THE AMERICANS HERE ARE PRESSING FOR AN URGENT
DECISION. NEWS OF THE PROPOSED VISIT MUST CERTAINLY BE KNOWN IN
TOWN AT THIS LATE STAGE.
2. SINCE THE DEPARTURE OF ENTERPRISE ON 30TH MAY A TOTAL OF TEN,
REPEAT TEN, U.S. NAVAL VESSELS HAVE VISITED HONG KONG. FROM 6TH
TJ 10TH JUNE THERE WAS ONLY ONE U.S. SHIP IN PORT. THE MAXIMUM
NUMBER OF SHIPS PRESENT AT ANY ONE TIME HAS BEEN SIX. THIS IS
A VERY LOW LEVEL OF VISITS (THERE WERE 17 SHIP VISITS IN THE
#
FORT HIGHT PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF ENTERPRISE'D AND, THOUGH IT
IS NO DOUBT PARTLY DICTATED BY OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS I HAVE
NO DOUBT THAT THE AMERICANS ARE DELIBERATELY EXERCISING RESTRAINT.
3. THERE IS SOME DANGER THAT THE COMMUNISTS MAY CONCLUDE FROM
THIS THAT WE HAVE YIELDED TO THE PRESSURE WHICH THEY EXENTED WHILE
'ENTERPRISE WAS HERE. FOR THIS REASON I WOULD NOT WISH TO ALTER
203) THE RECOMMENDATION IN PARAGRAPH 9 OF MY TELEGRAH 73, PARTICULARLY
AS THERE HAS: BEEN NO, REPEAT 10, MENTION OF U.S. NAVAL VISITS IN
THE COMMUNIST P.ESS SINCE 'ENTERPRISE'
(205).
#1
'ENTERPRISE LEFT HONG KONG.
SINCE ABOVE WAS DRAFTED, YOUR TELEGRAM 1150 CMURRAY TO POLITICAL
ADVISER) HAS BEEN RECEIVED. I WILL WARN AMERICANS APPROVAL MAY BE
WITHHELD BUT I GREATLY HOPE A DECISION CAN BE REACHED BEFORE 17TH
JUNE.
FO PLEASE PASS 1.MEDIATE PEKING 290 AND ROUTINE
SIR D. TRENCH
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED/
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
C.O. H.K.DEPT
DEFENCE DEPT
F.E. & P..
NEWS DEPT
F.0. F.E.U.
F.0. DEFENCE DEPT
S.E.A.D. AMERICAN DEPT P.U.S.D.
NEWS DEPT
DIS.M.O.D.
CONFIDENTIAL
WAS.LAGTON
ON 81.
ADVANCE COPIES SENT
204A
ཝཱ』་
205