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for all the "non-commercial" aspects of Hong Kong's external
relations.
We thus informed Hong Kong Government that, in the event of the "Otto
Hahn" visiting Hong Kong, we should wish to be satisfied that their
safety arrangements were satisfactory and "up to UK standards"."
5. We have recently been advised by the DOT that visits of nuclear
powered ships to the UK are governed by the 1960 Safety of Life at Sea
Convention (SOLAS). It was in fact the SOLAS Convention that governed
the "Otto Hahn's visit to Southampton last year. The Convention was
extended to Hong Kong in 1965 when it is presumed that the Hong Kong
Government enacted the legislation necessary to give effect to its
provisions. The Department's legal adviser has advised that it is
"the duty of the appropriate Hong Kong authorities to ensure that the
visit of the "Otto Hahn" is carried out in accordance with the
legislation" [implementing SOLAS] and "one could regard such visits
(as that of the "Otto Hahn") as being the, responsibility of the
Hong Kong Government along." There remains the question whether in the
event of an accident occurring during the "Otto Hahn's" visit to Hong Kong,
Ministers would be able to defend the arrangements made for the vessel's
visit. I think that they could do so. The fact is that the US nuclear-
powered ship the "NS Savannah" has called, without incident, at Hong Kong
on several occasions since 1967 (although UK officials decided after
the vessel's last visit that Whitehall would need to be involved more
closely in any subsequent visits). More important, if the Hong Kong
Government carried out the requirements of the SOLAS Convention they
would be following exactly the same guidelines, in respect of the
Otto Hahn's visit to Hong Kong as did HMG last year when the "Otto Hahn"
visited Southampton. If we took this view we would be placing on the
Hong Kong Government alone the onus of ensuring that all their
arrangements are up to international standards (and for paying,
/if
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