PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIAL
CYPHER/CAT A
FM HONG KONG 300835Z
NFIDENTIAL
(CAD)
O PRIORITY DTITELNO ALLOT U/N OF 30 JANUARY, 1973.
YOUR TELEGRAM ALLOT 8 PROPOSED HONG KONG SHIPPING REGISTRY.
I AM MOST GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COMMENTS. MORE DETAILED PROPOSALS
HAVE NOW BEEN PREPARED FOLLOWING FURTHER DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE
DIRECTOR OF MARINE AND THE HONG KONG SKIPOWNERS AND THE DIRECTOR
OF MARINE IS FORWARDING THESE TO STANDEN.
2, THESE ANSWER MOST OF THE POINTS YOU HAVE RAISED, BUT A TELEGRAM
WILL FOLLOW COVERING THE LAST SENTENCE OF YOUR PARA B AND FIRST
SENTENCE OF PARA E.
3. OUR OBJECT IS TO CREATE A NEW HONG KONG REGISTRY, WITH PROPER STANDARDS, THAT WILL ATTRACT THE LARGE TONNAGE FORECAST FOR HONG
KONG OWNERSHIP WITHIN THE NEXT DECADE. WE HOPE THE PAPER NOW
FORWARDED TO STANDEN, WHEN COMPLETED BY THE TELEGRAM REFERRED TO IN MY PARAGRAPH 2, WILL GIVE YOU A CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT WE PROPOSE
AND ITS IMPLICATIONS. WHILE WE AGREE THAT THIS CAN ONLY BE BROUGHT TO AN ISSUE BY TALKS IN LONDON, WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ASSURED THAT THERE IS SUFFICIENT UNANINITY OF VIEW TO MAKE THERE
NORTHWHILE. AFTER YOU HAVE CONSIDERED OUR FURTHER PROPOSALS I
WOULD THEREFORE BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD TELEGRAPH YOUR COMMENTS
ON THEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, INDICATING THE POINTS THAT YOU WISH
TO CLARIFY IN DISCUSSION, AND WHERE APPLICABLE THE POLITICAL
FACTORS INVOLVED.
4. THE SLIGHT DELAY WHICH THIS WILL ENTAIL WILL ALSO GIVE US TIME
TO OBTAIN FURTHER CLARIFICATION FROM OUR SHIPOWNERS ON THE
NUMBER OF SHIPS LIKELY TO BE ATTRACTED TO A HONG KONG REGISTRY AND ON
THE LEVEL OF FEES WHICH WOULD APPEAR TO BE REASONABLE.
5. I HOPE THAT THIS SUGGESTED PROCEDURE, WHICH SHOULD NOT INVOLVE
DELAYING THE DISCUSSION FOR MORE THAN A FEW WEEKS WILL BE ACCEPTABLE
TO YOU. I WELCOME THE PROGRESS WE ARE NOW MAKING IN CLARIFYING THIS PROJECT AND AM ANXIOUS THAT THE MOMENTUM SHOULD BE MAINTAINED TO
THE POINT AT WHICH MINISTERS CAN DECIDE ON IT.
MACLENOSE
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IDENTIAL