96
??
BRDE 16 }}
aboar.
.175/2
H&R
Mr Morris SP
CHINA
HKK 184/2
Reference
c Mr Brown
3P3C
I discussed the question of the Maritime Agreement with China in the course of my talks at Government House in Hong Kong with the Economic Services Department of the Government Secretariat, In fact no UK-based member of the Secreturiat proved to be available My discussions were thus with Mr Wong and Mr Lo, both locally- employed officers. But I found Mr Wong (who is, I gather, a man of substantial means for whom Government service is something of an intellectual outlet) to be well-informed on both the ship; ing and civil aviation fronts. He has been closely involved with George Rogers working on the Air Services Agreement with China.
2 Interestingly enough, Mr Wong indicated that, in the Air Services context, it was the UK which was pressing for Hong Kong's inclusion as un integral part of the UK-Chinu Agreement.
His preference, on behalf of Hong Kong, was for two Agreements: one would cover direct services between the UK and China, the other would be a "regional understanding" covering the development of air services between Hong Kong and points in Chinui. The advant- age of this latter arrangement would be that it would allow a flexible response to the local situation, through dicussions which the Hong Kong authorities could probably undertake them- selves, without the need to involve constant readjustment to the more formal Air Services Agreement. But Mr Wong had been unable to persuade Mr Rogers to abandon his preference for the inclusior of Hong Kong as a point covered by the overall ASA.
4
3 I asked Won whether his position vis--vis Air Services implied that he would have no objection to a metrotolitan UK- China Maritime Agreement accompanied by nome form of Separate understanding on ong Kong. I recalled that Hong Kong's prefer- ence, as expressed hitherto, had been for formal inclusion of the Colony within a UK-Chin Maritime Agreement. Wong confirmed that he would have no objection to a separate understanding provided it included the minimum safexuards set out in nis telegram to FCO of 21 March. These were that:
i)
1) Hong Kong-registered ships would in practice
be accorded treatment siqlar to slv&
11)
iii)
to other British ships (ie dues etc), un
1
1
the validity of certifientes of remir survey issued in Hong; Hone would be reco miced and would not pretaside the "metropolitan "character of the ship;
Hong Kong seamen would be no worse off than now and if possible, would enjoy an
improved position.
Wong asked me about 13's current analysis of the need for a Maritime Agreement with thing.
I rower.ed our arpimento and
pointed to the position of other ni jur destern countries (incluiing, pr pectively, the 13,. ine benefits could be both
/ prieties)