Registry
No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret,
Secret.
___Confidential............
Restricted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
c: Mr Williamson
DRAFT LETTER
CONFIDENTIAL
To:-
A J Pryor Esq, DOT
UK/CHINA MARITIME AGREEMENT
DSR 11
Type 1 +
From
R C Samuel
Telephone No. Ext.
Department
HKGD
Mr Moreland MAED
T George Esq PEKING
D Wilson Esq HONG KONG
A
B
I am sorry
1. Thank you for your letter of 5 January.
that you should have had to press us on this. Other more urgent China matters have unfortunately had prior call on our time. Your Department did however receive copies of the replies from Peking and Hong Kong to our request for their reactions to the points you made in your letter of 7 August. You will therefore be aware of the strong feeling in Hong Kong against any agreement which does not cover its interests, interests which I think you will agree coincide with those of the owners
of ships registered in the UK when it comes to matters of certification if nothing else. Ships of third countries will also be affected by the non-recognition by China of certificates issued in Hong Kong. There is concern for the weakening of the Hong Kong register and a reduction in employment opportunities. The lack of enthusiasm in Hong Kong extends to local shipowners and operators who, like their UK counterparts, have no wish
to have their trade with Taiwan jeopardised if the Chinese should insist on some statement being made about our attitude to Taiwan. In absolute terms this might not appear very great from the tonnage figures provided with Orr's letter of 8 September but, the loss to individual companies could well be. Nor, I think, must we exclude the possibility of entrepôt traffic being re-routed with a subsequent loss to Hong Kong in handling fees and port charges. You yourself have already mentioned the possibility of Taiwan retaliation against British ships in general. It must exist nd while the potential loss of invisible earnings for e UK is not something we
CONFIDENT
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/here