PRIORITY
CYPHER/CAT A
FM HONG KONG 278330Z
TOP COPY.
CONFIDENTIAL,
PRECAVED A
REGISTRY
51
NICK(21)
(16)
CONFIDENTIAL
TO PRIORITY DT I TELNO ALLOT U/N OF 27TH FEBRUARY, 1973. INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON (FCO PLEASE PASS),
YOUR TELEGRAM ALLOT 10.
PROPOSED HONG KONG SHIPPING REGISTER.
REF.
(14)
ALTHOUGH THESE ADDITIONAL EXCHANGES BETWEEN US ARE BEGINNING TO CLARIFY THE MAIN POINTS AT ISSUE I AGREE WITH YOU THAT FURTHER PRO- GRESSS IS PROBABLY ONLY POSSIBLE ROUND THE TABLE. I THEREFORE PROPOSE TO SEND THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE TO LONDON, ACCOMPANIED BY JONES (DEPUTY ECONOMIC SECRETARY) TO MEET WISHES EXPRESSED IN LAST PARAGRAPH OF YOUR TEL ALLOT 8. THE WEEK BEGINNING 5TH MARCH WOULD BE
DIFFICULT
FOR THIS VISIT AND I WOULD SUGGEST COMMENCING ON 13TH MARCH IF THIS
IS CONVENIENT FOR YOU.
2. AS REGARDS YOUR FURTHER COMMENTS THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US SEEMS TO BE OVER THE EMOTIVE TERM 'FLAG OF CONVENIENCE''. FOR MY PART I CANNOT AGREE THAT, PROVIDED HIGH STANDARDS CONTINUE
WHICH TO BE MAINTAINED, SOME RELAXATION OF REQUIREMENTS MAINLY CONCERN NATIONALITY) SHOULD BE REGARDED AS A MOVE TOWARDS A NEW FLAG OF CONVENIENCE IN ANY PEJORATIVE SENSE.
3. THE SHORT ANSWERS TO YOUR DETAILED QUESTIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS (THEY CAN BE COVERED MORE FULLY AT THE TALKS:
(A)
AND
(H)
(13)
YES IN BOTH CASES. BUT THE TERM ''PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS'' DIFFICULT TO DEFINE AND CASES MAY NEED TO BE LOOKED AT
INDIVIDUALLY.
WE WOULD START OFF BY CONSIDERING APPLICANTS FROM BONA FIDE SEAFARING NATIONS (MAINLY IN EUROPE, INCLUDING SCANDINAVIA).
CONFIDENTIAL
(c) YES.
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