GRS 379
PRIORITY
CYPHER CAT/A
CONFIDENTIAL
:
133
FM
TOK YO 959733Z
CONFIDENTIAL
Is
H.KK. 21/2.3
Senity to see
ther
TO PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG TEL NO 89 CF 5 NOVEMBER.1973.
REPEATED FOR INFO TO FCO, DTI (COPY TO K C PRICE CRE 2)
HONG KONG REGISTER OF SHIPPING.
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 83,
(3+)/138)
143)
THE
1. WE HAD PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED INFORMATION ABOUT THIS VISIT FROM THE SHIPBUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF JAPAN (SAJ) WHO. GAVE US A COPY OF LEE'S LETTER TO THE SAJ OF 25 OCTOBER, AS YOU WILL HAVE SEEN HOWEVER FROM THE SAJ'S TELEX REPLY OF 31 OCTOBER, SAJ HAD HEARD NOTHING FROM THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE JAPANESE SHIPBUILDERS IN HONG KONG. WE HAVE ALSO BEEN CONTACTED BY THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT FOR FURTHER DETAILS OF THE VISIT FOLLOWING THOMPSON'S TELEX MESSAGE TO UCHIDA, FORMERLY GENERAL SHIP INS- PECTOR AND NOW DIRECTOR
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT.
GENERAL OF THE SHIPPING BUREAU ?
2. AS T APPEARS THAT THERE HAS BEEN A FAILURE OF COMMUNICATIONS
BETWEEN JAPANESE SHIPBUILDERS REPRESENTATIVES IN HONG KONG AND
THEIR HEADQUARTERS IN JAPAN WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OF WHAH IS REQUIRED SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THE NECESSARY CONTACTS ON BEHALF OF THE DTI TEAM AS YOU WILL HAVE NOTED, THE SAJ FEEL THIS VISIT SHOULD BE HANDLED BY THE SHIP MACHINERY
ASSOCIATION.
3. IN THIMPSONS'S TELEX REFERRED TO ABOVE, IT SI STATED THAT GREGORY WILL BE ABLE TO ADVISE THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT ON T THE SCOPE OF THE INTENDED VISIT. FROM OUR CONVERSATION WITH HIM, HOWEVER, IT APPEARS THAT HE DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT YOU HAVE IN MIND TO ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS OF THE MOT. IN PARTICULAR WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR FURTHER BRIEFING ON THE OISCUSSIONS YOU WISH TO HAVE WITH THE MOT ON APPROVAL PROCEDURE. PRIMA FACIE THIS WOULD APPEAR TO ENTAIL GRANTING JAPANESE MARINE EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS ADVANTAGES AT THE EXPENSE OF BRITISH
CONFIDENTIAL
/MANUFACTURER'S IT