CONFIDENTIAL
4
Liaison for Travel During Festival Periods
5. Mr. ZHANG said it would be useful if liaison officers
could arrange for meetings to be held before each major
festival to discuss such questions as the number of trains,
the likely volume of passengers etc. Representatives from
the relevant departments concerned should be invited to
these meetings. Mr. McLaren agreed. He understood that these sorts of discussions were being held already, but it
was as well to put them on a formal footing. Liaison officers
should agree dates and which departments should be represented.
Smuggling Vessels
6.
Mr. ZHANG asked whether it would be possible to simplify
the arrangements for the return of vessels used by smugglers
apprehended in Hong Kong. Those vessels seized in Mirs Bay
should be returned to the PSB station at Yan Tian: those
seized in Deep Bay to the Shekou PSB station and all other
vessels (belonging to communes further afield) to the Chu Kong
Shipping Company in Hong Kong. Mr. McLaren said that he could
see no problem in principle in arranging the return of such
vessels as Mr. ZHANG had proposed. He emphasised that it
would be essential to establish the true ownership of the
vessels before they could be released to representatives from
the communes for collection or delivered to Chu Kong Shipping
Company. He said that the Hong Kong side would consider the
arrangements further and convey a formal reply through liaison
officers. (Mr. To had earlier explained that Customs & Excise
in Hong Kong presently distinguished between motorised and non-
motorised vessels. He suggested that the Chu Kong Shipping
Company should assume responsibility for all of the former, and
that the non-motorised vessels should be returned to the communes
direct).
CONFIDENTIAL
17.