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LESS ATTENTION THAN THOSE OF CRUISERS AND CARRIERS, WE CONTINUE
TO REGARD THE VISIT OF ANY NUCLEAR SHIP AS QUOTE PARTICULARLY
CONTROVERSI AL UNQUOTE, UNDER YOUR DEFINITION. IF PRESSED, WE
SUGGEST YOU SHOULD TELL THE AMERICANS YOU ARE WILLING TO RECOMMEND
THAT, DEPENDING ON THE STATE OF OUR RELATIONS WITH CHINA AT ANY
GIVEN TIME, YOU SHOULD HAVE DISCRETION TO CONSIDER SYMPATHETICALLY
TWO ADDITIONAL VISITS A YEAR BY SMALLER NUCLEAR SHIPS I.E.
FRIGATES AND SUBMARINES, PREFERABLY THE LATTER, UP TO A LIMIT OF
ABOUT SIX VISITS A YEAR FOR ALL TYPES OF NUCLEAR VESSELS, WITH
VISITS SPACED AT ROUGHLY TWO MONTHLY INTERVALS.
CROSEC
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
C.O.
F.0.
H.K. DEPT.
F.E. & P.D.
F.E.D.
DEFENCE DEPT.
S.E.A.D.
P.U.S.D.
NEWS DEPT.
DIS M.O.D.
CONFIDENTIAL