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VIIT OF NA CIJNKON DAVINC NODCOW 18-22 OCTOELR
Russian Visits to liong Kong(Lefensive)
1.
it is possible that the Russians will raise either or
both of the following issues:-
(a) the restrictions imposed by the Hong Kong authorities
on visits by aussien ships and their crews and;
(b) the hong authorities' recent refusal of permission for
the Sovier research vessel the "Dimitry Mendelcev", to enter
Hong Kong at the end of October.
2. As to (a) problems have arisen during the last few years,
though not recently, about the visit ofcviet chips to liong
Kong and the treatment of their crews.
There problems rust
be seen against the wider background of the long on
M
Govenment's overall policy, which fully upport, towards
visits of cviet citizens. This is to keep to an absolute
minimum the number of
periods, to enter on
ussions permitted, even for short
Ron Over the last few years the
•
Russians have attempted, by various means, to establish a
pattern of visits in order to break down the reluctance of
the Hong Kong authorities and curselves to let them in a
foothold in the territory. In some cases special factors led
the Hong Kong authorities to moke exceptions, but by and large
their practice regarding ussians is to keep them out of
liong kong as far as possible. (The only permanent ussian
presence in Hong Kong consists of two ussian farine uper-
intendents and their wives who arrived in ugust 1976.)
3. The reason for our firm line is the question:ble
CONFIDENTIAL
/motives