PRIORITY
GPS 610
CYPHER/CAT A
FM HONG KONG 160501Z
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL:
TO PRIORITY F.C.O TELNO.827 OF 16 AUGUST
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, MOSCOW, MODUK.
श
RECEIVED IN
^, 51
REC
16 AUG 1977
INKKORI)
21/1
20
FROM POLITICAL ADVISER FOR THE HONG KONG DEPARTMENT.
YOUR TELNOS.635 AND 636 DMITRI MENDELEEV.
20)
REF.
1. WE CONTINUE TO HAVE OBJECTION TO THIS SHIP ENTERING HONG KONG.
THE REASONS CAN BE SUMMARISED AS FOLLOWS:
(A) CRITICISM OF THE USE OF HONG KONG BY SOVIET SHIPPING CONTINUES FROM TIME TO TIME IN THE LOCAL LEFT-WING PRESS.
(B) THE CHINESE WOULD MISUNDERSTAND A VISIT OF THIS KIND AND WOULD PROBABLY INVOKE THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S ASSURANCE TO THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD NO
INTENTION OF TOLERATING THE USE OF HONG KONG FOR SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES AGAINST THE CHINESE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC (PEKING TELNO.32 TO HONG KONG OF 5 MAY 76).
(C) IF WE ALLOW THIS VISIT, IT WILL BECOME A PRECEDENT FOR FURTHER REGULAR VISITS BY SOVIET RESEARCH VESSELS AND OUR LOCAL
POLICY ON SOVIET PENETRATION WILL THUS BE UNDERMINED.
2. WE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO SOVIET VESSELS VISITING HONG KONG WHEN THEY ARE ON PURELY COMMERCIAL BUSINESS. WE ARE, HOWEVER, NOTING WITH SOME CONCERN THAT THE NUMBER OF VESSELS VISITING HONG KONG (FOR OTHER REASONS THAN REPAIR) HAS INCREASED DURING THE PAST FOUR YEARS (260 CRUISE VESSELS AND CARGO SHIPS IN 1976 COMPARED WITH 174 IN 1973).
3. WITH REFERENCE TO YOUR TELNO.635, THREE SOVIET GOVERNMENT RESEARCH VESSELS APPLIED FOR PERMISSION TO VISIT HONG KONG IN 1976. WE REFUSED THE DMITRI MENDELEEV AND THE POSEYDON, BUT ALLOWED THE PROFESSOR YUSHCHENKO INTO HONG KONG IN FEBRUARY 1976 BECAUSE IT WAS TOWING THE MV GLUKHOV WHICH HAD BROKEN DOWN WITH ENGINE TROUBLE.
4. THE PROFESSOR YUSHCHENKO WAS ALSO ALLOWED INTO HONG KONG IN 1972, WHEN IT WAS CLASSIFIED AS A TRAINING SHIP**.
CONFIDENTIAL
15.
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