CONFIDENTIAL
ANGLO/SOVIET JOINT MARITIME COMMISSION: BRIEF ON RUSSIAN VISITS TO HONG KONG
1. Insert a new introductory paragraph as follows:
"At recent meetings of the Joint Maritime Commission the Soviet delegation have raised the question of the restrictions imposed by the Hong Kong authorities on visits by Russian ships and their crews. The Soviet delegation may repeat their complaints at the present meeting. The background is as follows."
Subject to confirmation by EESD and DOT that this is a factual statement of what has happened at recent meetings of the Commission and of what is likely to happen this time.7
2. Paragraph 2 (previously 1)
Amend the opening words to read as follows:
3.
"Problems have arisen during the last few years, though not recently, about the visit.
Paragraph 3 (previously 2)
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Insert the following sentence in brackets at the end of the paragraph:
4.
"The only permanent Russian presence in Hong Kong consists of two Russian Marine Superintendents and their wives who arrived in August 1976.
Paragraph 4 (previously 3)
Insert the following after the fourth sentence (i.e. the one ending
in the Colony."):
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"When the previous Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr Crosland, visited Peking in May 1976, the Chinese Foreign Minister expressed the hope that the "British authorities in Hong Kong would hold in check" the activities of the Soviet Union and its satellites who "were using Hong Kong as a base for intelligence and infiltration." (He said the same with regard to Taiwanese activities.) In reply, the Secretary of State gave a clear assurance that HMG had "no intention of tolerating the use of Hong Kong for subversive activities against the Chinese People's Republic."
The rest of paragraph 4, beginning with "In the circumstances could stay unchanged.
5. Paragraph 5 (previously 4)
Amend the opening words to read:
"The Russians have in the past shown particular concern
6. Insert new paragraph 6 as follows:
"Details of the net registered tonnage of Soviet ships which have visited Hong Kong in recent years are to be found in the Answer which the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr Luard) gave to a
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