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FM HONG KONG 01020OZ FEB 94
TC IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 271 OF 1 FEBRUARY 1984
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
ENCIVED IN ALI
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YOUR TELNOS. 133 AND 134.
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: WORKING PAPER ON SHIPPING.
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44: Tukan
смар
WE HAVE REDRAFTED THIS WORKING PAPER TO ACHIEVE A MORE LOGICAL
AND COHERENT FORMAT AND A TIGHTER STYLE OF EXPRESSION TO AVOID
SOME INACCURACIES AND TO FOLLOW THE PATTERN AND WORDING OF
WORKING PAPERS GENERALLY.
MIFT CONTAINED THE REVISED TEXT.
2. INACCURACIES NOTED IN YOUR DRAFT INCLUDE THE REFERENCE TO:
(1) HONG KONG HAVING QUOTE ITS OWN SHIPPING REGISTER UNQUOTE AND
(2) THE MARITIME ADMINISTRATION PLANNING TO UNDERTAKE RESPON-
SIBILITY FOR QUOTE TRAINING UNQUOTE. REFERENCES TO FLAG STATE AND PORT STATE ARE, WE THINK, MALADROIT IN THE CONTEXT.
3. WE SUGGEST POINTS OF RECURRING RELEVANCE SUCH AS CONTINUATION
OF HONG KONG LAWS, CONTINUED APPLICATION OF EXISTING INTERNATIONAL
OBLIGATIONS BINDING UPON HONG KONG AND FREEDOM TO CREATE FUTURE
INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS AND IN THE NAME OF THE SAR SHOULD BE
EMPHASISED AS WELL AS THE PROJECTED HONG KONG SHIPPING REGISTER.
4. OTHERWISE THE MESSAGE OF THE PAPER IS A STRAIGHTFORWARD ONE:
UNDERLINING THE NEED FOR CONTINUITY, THE MAINTENANCE OF INTER-
NATIONAL STANDARDS AND MINIMUM CHANGE.
5. WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT IN MIFT:
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Sad (39
SS
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67
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(3) IMPLICATIONS. PARAGRAPH 1. THIS HAS BEEN INCLUDED TO EMPHASISE THAT THE BUSINESS OF SHIPPING WOULD CONTINUE WITH THE MINIMUM OF CHANGE. AT THE FINAL SENTENCE WE HAVE INCLUDED A REFERENCE TO THE CONTINUING RECOGNITION OF INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED CLASSIFICATION SOCIETIES. THIS DERIVES FROM THE DIFFICULTIES IN RERUITING SHIP
SURVEYORS IN THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE INTERNATIONAL MARKET AND THE
NEED TO ASSURE SHIP SURVEYORS NOW IN THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE HKG THAT
THEIR SERVICES WOULD CONTINUE TO BE REQUIRED AFTER 1997.
SECRET
Redacted Under FOI Exemption Sec 27(1)
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