No.
Registry HW.B 2/2
DRAFT
s/o letter
Type 1 +
From
To:-
-Top Secret. Secret-
Confidential.
Restricted.
. Umelassified.
J.B.Denson Esq.,
Telephone No. & Ext.
Foreign Office,
S.W.1.
Department
I enclose a copy of a telegram from Hong Kong about a
with Things, Runcaman (HRA)) Weatherly (Mod) & Comproposed visit to Hong Kong of the nuclear powered
and
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
97499 $t.5.
with enclsues.
Copies for 1.RL. Wadding ham
Shore Din.
(Naval.
M.O.P.
2. D Runcinar UKAEA.
11. Charles II
Sr. swi
3. Miss E
Llewellyn
SunR
BifT.:
Ends.
on
Copy 3 this
and. (1)
and ends
ship "SAVANNAH" together with a copy of the communication
You will from the U.S. Embassy to which long kong refers.
see that the "SAVANNAH" is now operated by a private
Company, who are proposing to sent it on a demonstration
tour of the Far East ports, including Hong Kong, which it
1967. is proposed to visit on or about June 27,
The possibility of such a visit was the subject of correspondence/ending with Timms' letter F.1211/2 of 9th
1 Cartie; March, 1965 and the general view then was that we were
not particularly keen for a visit to take place. Our view
of the present visit, which I have discussed with Carter,
remains very much the same. Apart from the considerations
The correspondance referred to slove
advanced in fatter, the Chinese have since that
The time shown themselves particularly sensitive to visits
of nuclear warships that have taken placej and while it
does not follow that a visit of the "SAVANNAH" would
produce the same reaction we see nothing of advantage
*
to Hong Kong to set against the risk entailed. Furthermore
the proposed visit at the end of June would take place
in the south-west monsoon season and at a time when there
is a danger of typhoons.
From the oint of view de at a cretin would be relations with China, therefore, the summer the worst
possible time if Peking decide to take notice,
I Think
might in sayid
that paevious visits by
on AT. 24/7/6. beareen sept, to
Copy with esty (3), for- EG. 14/10
ATT. 21
21/7/1
nullear
dates proposed.
ships have all taken place between Sept, to March. A proposed wiit by the Enterprise" in
which we were
July last
, which
year,
prepared to accept, did not conse