CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 1358
OF 101713Z SEP 92
CONFIDENTIAL
SENS
'AM
PS/M Goodladix
017211
MDHOAN 0509
The Minister might like
to be aware.
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, HANOI, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
Mos
HKCD
11/ix.
OUR TELNO 1341 AND PEKING TELNO 1258: CHINESE SEIZURE OF VIETNAMESE VESSELS NEAR HONG KONG
1. ZHENG JINJIONG (MINISTER AT THE CHINESE EMBASSY) CALLED ON HUM (AUSS) ON 10 SEPTEMBER (BEFORE RECEIPT OF PEKING TUR).
2. LIKE WANG GUISHENG IN PEKING, ZHENG OFFERED AN APOLOGY FOR THE SECOND INCIDENT RAISED WITH THE CHINESE (THE COLUYEN 2' INCIDENT OF 29 AUGUST). THE EXPLANATION HE GAVE OF THE INCIDENT WAS ON THE SAME LINES AS THAT REPORTED IN PEKING TUR. ZHENG EMPHASISED THAT THIS WAS AN INADVERTENT ENTRY INTO HONG KONG WATERS BY THE CHINESE VESSEL WHILE IN PURSUIT OF THE VIETNAMESE VESSEL: HIS AUTHORITIES WERE SORRY FOR THE OCCURRENCE. HE ADDED THAT THE OTHER INCIDENTS WERE STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT BE INFLUENCED BY EXAGGERATED MEDIA REPORTS. COOPERATION BETWEEN THE OFFICIALS CONCERNED IN HONG KONG AND CHINA WOULD HELP TO CRACK DOWN ON SMUGGLING.
3. HUM THANKED ZHENG FOR THIS PROMPT REPLY. HE NOTED THAT THE ENTRY OF THE CHINESE LAUNCH INTO HONG KONG WATERS HAD BEEN INADVERTENT, BUT POINTED OUT THAT THE VIETNAMESE VESSEL CONCERNED WAS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN IN HONG KONG WATERS AT ALL TIMES: IT REMAINED UNCLEAR HOW THE INCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. WE HOPED THERE WOULD BE NO RECURRENCE. THERE REMAINED A FURTHER INCIDENT IN WHICH A CHINESE VESSEL HAD MADE AN INCURSION INTO HONG KONG WATERS (THAT OF 28 AUGUST) AND WE AWAITED AN EXPLANATION OF THIS. WE HOPED THAT A FULL EXPLANATION OF ALL THE INCIDENTS RAISED WITH THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD BE FORTHCOMING, THROUGH THE CHANNELS WHICH EXISTED FOR THIS PURPOSE IN HONG KONG, AS THE CHINESE SIDE HAD PROMISED. ZHENG TOOK NOTE.
HURD
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