CONFIDENTIAL
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MDHIAN
BOARDED THE TUG AND LIGHTER FROM THE CHINESE PATROL VESSEL. ALL THOSE ON BOARD AT THE END OF THE JOURNEY WERE, ACCORDING TO OUR EVIDENCE, ON BOARD AT THE START OF THE JOURNEY.
5.
AS TO THE POSITION OF THE CHINESE PATROL VESSEL AND OUR MARINE POLICE LAUNCH, OUR PHOTOGRAPHS CLEARLY SHOW THE CHINESE PATROL VESSEL ALONGSIDE THE HONG KONG MARINE LAUNCH JUST IN FRONT OF CASTLE PEAK POWER STATION. MOREOVER THE PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN LATER ON, WHICH SHOW SHEKOU IN THE BACKGROUND, ARE CLEARLY TAKEN FROM THE SOUTH EAST, I.E. FROM HONG KONG WATERS. HAD THEY BEEN TAKEN FROM THE VICINITY OF INNER LING DING ISLAND, I.E. THE SOUTH WEST, SHEKOU WOULD HAVE APPEARED FROM A QUITE DIFFERENT ANGLE.
6. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE SINCE 7 MAY BEEN PROPOSING A BORDER LIAISON MEETING TO DISCUSS THE FACTS OF THIS INCIDENT AND RESOLVE IT. THEY HAVE ALSO MADE CLEAR THAT THEY WISH TO ESTABLISH A NEW AND MORE COOPERATIVE BASIS FOR DEALING WITH THE QUESTION OF
SMUGGLING. THEY WILL BE READY AT A MEETING TO OUTLINE A NUMBER OF
NEW MEASURES TO THIS END.
7
·
NCNA HAVE TOLD THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT THAT GUANGDONG AGREES IN PRINCIPLE TO A BORDER LIAISON MEETING, BUT DESPITE CONSTANT ENQUIRIES GUANGDONG HAVE NOT AGREED TO SET A DATE. BELIEVE THIS MATTER SHOULD BE RESOLVED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL BUT, IN VIEW OF THE VERY LONG DELAY, GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD URGE GUANGDONG TO AGREE TO A VERY EARLY MEETING.
ENDS
FORD
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
LIMITED
HKD
FED
NEWS D
30
DISTRIBUTION
30
MR MCLAREN
MR BURNS
MISS SPENCER
PAGE 2 CONFIDENTIAL