takings of Hong Kong.
CONFIDENTIAL
The Hong Kong Shipping Advisory Committee was discussed, and its position as A body to
advise shipowers only up to the time of the establishment of naval control of
shipping. In contrast we have in the UK, the formal advisory committees JMSDC and
SDAC - which cover civil and naval control plans respectively. to be followed, in the
event of crisis, by the consultative-executive National Shipping Advisory Committee,
prior to the setting up of the National Shipping Authority for the government
direction of shipping within the NATO Defence Shipping Authority arrangements.
In war all shipping in UK and allied service calling at Hong Kong would be under
this sort of national control, which would reach it through the national overseas
shipping representatives. In Hong Kong the control or influence over local shipping
and the port undertakings in the allied interest would be a matter for Hong Kong's
emergency legislation and arrangements. The large shipowner with single ship
companies registered in flag of convenience countries was a problem exercising all
NATO shipping nations and the position of such owners in Hong Kong depended on the
law of Hong Kong and how the Defence legislation could be made to bite.
The separate subject of the emergency arrangements, for the requisitioning of UK
ships for the evacuation of certain people from Hong Kong in the imminence of
aggression against the territory, was discussed and it was noted that, although
the 1969 dormant Order in Council still held good, Department of Trade shipping
presences in Singapore and Hong Kong to which its powers had been delegated no
longer existed. It was agreed that FCO and DoT should examine the need for
up-dating these arrangements by re-delegating the emergency power to a nominee of
the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in Hong Kong.
SP2
Department of Trade
September 1976