PRIME MINISTER
DRAFT MINUTE
HONG KONG: SHIPPING
You will recall meeting Mr Y K Pao of World-Wide (Shipping)
Ltd, Hong Kong, in June of this year. Mr Pao, whose
company owns some 7m tons of shipping, mainly registered
in Liberia, suggested that if certain changes were made in
Hong Kong shipping legislation this would reduce the
disadvantage of registering ships in Hong Kong and help
the Colony. The Hong Kong Government have also raised
this question. You asked that the matter should be
examined and a report made to you.
2. We have thoroughly considered the question. An
official has been to Hong Kong to discuss the proposals
of the Hong Kong Government and discussions with the
company have taken place both in London and Hong Kong.
3.
The proposals of Mr Pao were, briefly, as follows:
(i) that Hong Kong should cease to be, in effect,
part of the UK register of shipping and should
have a register of its own;
(ii) that the requirements that the master, chief
officer and chief engineer should be British
subjects and that the second officer and second
engineer should hold British certificates of
competency should be dropped;
/(iii) that