GRS 350
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2226
16
221
CONFIDENTIAL
OF 181045Z OCTOTBER 85
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
VISIT OF MR RENTON.
BRIEFING TELEGRAM : SHIPPING.
LINE TO TAKE.
HAH 027/6
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
2 1 OCT 1985
DESK OFFICER
RY
INDEX
PA
Action T..k.........
1. HAVE READ WITH INTEREST THE CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT.
2. UNDERSTAND THAT HKG HAS RECEIVED MANY PUBLIC COMMENTS IN SUPPORT,
PARTICULARLY FORM HONG KONG SHIP OWNERS. LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING
WITH HKG TO ACHIEVE A SUCCESSFUL REGISTER.
3. (DEFENSIVE). THE QUESTION OF REQUISITION IS NOT ONE FOR HKG AND IT
SHOULD NOT (NOT) NEED TO FEATURE IN HKG PROPOSALS.
4. (DEFNSIVE). AS REGARDS THE QUESTION OF THE FLAG, HAVE NOTED HKG
IDEA THAT A FLAG OR FLAGS WILL BE DESIRABLE TO INDICATE BOTH
NATIONALITY OF THE SHIP AND THE FACT THAT IT IS ON THE HONG KONG
REGISTER. THIS MATTER WILL NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN DUE COURSE.
BACKGROUND.
5 HONG KONG DEVELOPED AROUND THE PORT. THE PORT LAST YEAR HANDLED 12,000 OCEAN GOING VESSELS. FOR 1925, THIS FIGURE IS EXPECTED TO GROWN BY 11 PER CENT. GROWTH ATTRIBUTABLE PRIMARILY TO
TRANSHIPMENT TRADE. OUR RE-EXPORTS THROUGH THE PORT TO CHINA ARE UP
BY SO PER CENT BY VOLUME OVER THE LAST YEAR.
6. HALF OF THE TRAFFIC THROUGH THE POPT IS CONTAINERISED. IN 1984
2.1 MILLION 24 FOOT EQUIVALENT UNITS WERE HANDLED. HONG KONG RANKS
AS WORLD'S THIRD LARGEST CONTAINER PORT BEHIND ROTTERDAM AND NEW
YORK. IT HANDLES ABOUT THREE TIMES THE VOLUME OF FELIXSTONE.
PLANS NOW IN HAND TO EXTEND THE CONTAINER PORT BY OVER 50 HECTARES.
CONFIDENTIAL
17.