CONFIDENTIAL
GR 650
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 031030Z MARCH
FM HONG KONG Ø30935Z MARCH 8Ø
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 323 OF 3 MARCH
اب
RECEIVED IN P3OGY NO. 51
-
3 MAR 1280
DESK OFFuch
INDEX
PA Rank
8
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING PRIORITY MODUK ROUTINE
OFFICE LONDON
INN GONG KONG
GOVERN
3
MY TELNO 311: INCIDENT IN DEEP BAY.
WE NOW NEED TO CONSIDER WHAT FURTHER ACTION TO TAKE WITH
See
THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES. ALTHOUGH THE INCIDENT HAS NOW BEEN CONCLUDED REASONABLY SATISFACTORILY, IT WAS NEVERTHELESS SERIOUS, IT INVOLVED THE BOARDING BY AN ARMED PARTY OF A RN CRAFT IN HONG KONG WATERS AND ATTEMPTS AT INTIMIDATION DIRECTED BOTH AGAINST THE RN CRAFT AND MARINE POLICE LAUNCHES. THE KEY POINTS ARE: (1) AN ARMED PARTY CONSISTING OF FIVE MEMBERS OF THE CREW OF THE CHINESE PATROL CRAFT HAI GONG (3189 2361), NO 732 BOARDED THE
HOVERCRAFT AT ABOUT 9430. AN ARMED PARTY, WITH ONE CHANGE OF MEMBERS REMAINED ON BOARD UNTIL 1530:
(11) THE SAME CHINESE PATROL CRAFT UNCOVERED ITS GUNS AND DIRECTED
THESE VARIOUSLY AT THE HOVERCRAFT AND TWO HONG KONG POLICE LAUNCHES WHICH CAME TO ITS ASSISTANCE OVER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL HOURS, FROM ABOUT 0330:
(111) GUNS WERE ALSO POINTED AT THE RN VESSELS YARNTON AND CLARE ON TWO OCCASIONS WHEN THEY CAME WITHIN HALF A MILE OF THE SCENE:
AND
(IV) THE PRESENCE ON BOARD THE HOVERCRAFT OF AN ARMED BOARDING PARTY PREVENTED THE CREW OF THE DAMAGED CRAFT GETTING ACCESS TO PUMPS ON DECK WITH WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES.
2. DURING THE COURSE OF THE INCIDENT THE POLITICAL ADVISER TOLD NCNA LOCALLY HOW SERIOUSLY WE VIEWED WHAT WAS HAPPENING (MY TELNO 48 TO PEKING). BUT I THINK SOMETHING SHOULD ALSO BE SAID FORMALLY IN PEKING, OR THE CHINESE MAY CONCLUDE EITHER THAT WE WERE IN THE WRONG, OR THAT THE LINE WE TOOK IS NOT SUPPORTED BY
H.M.G. IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE POINTS, THE EMBASSY COULD SAY THAT WHILE IT IS INDERSTANDABLE THAT PROBLEMS MAY OCCASIONALLY ARISE, WITH BOTH SIDES TRADITIONALLY PATROLLING IN DEEP BAY AND MIRS BAY, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THESE SHOULD BE RESOLVED RAPIDLY AND IN A CO-OPERATIVE SPIRIT WITHOUT ATTEMPTS TO RESORT TO THREATS OR USE
OF FORCE. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ARE WILLING TO CONSIDER AND DISCUSS WAYS OF MINIMISING THE RISK OF INCIDENTS AND OF RESOLVING THEM SHOULD THEY OCCUR. THE WAY IN WHICH THE INCIDENT ON 29 FEBRUARY WAS HANDLED WAS ADDITIONALLY UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE IT RESULTED IN PATROL CRAFT FROM BOTH SIDES BEING REMOVED FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME FROM THEIR PROPER SECURITY ROLES.
CONFIDENTIAL
/3. IN RESPONDING
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