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* 026476
MDHIAN 03351
6.
THE POLICE LAUNCH ACTED IN A FRIENDLY MANNER AND DID NOTHING PROVOCATIVE THROUGHOUT THIS INCIDENT. ITS INITIAL FRIENDLY GESTURES TOWARDS 729 WERE NOT ACKNOWLEDGED. IT WAS OPERATING AT ALL TIMES WELL WITHIN ITS DESIGNATED PATROL AREA.
DURING THE INCIDENT 729 WAS OBSERVED TO BE FLASHING SIGNALS
BY ALDIS LAMP TO 728.
7.
COMMENT
8.
WE CAN ONLY SPECULATE ON THE REASON FOR THIS INCURSION. IT
MAY BE RELATED TO THE PRESENCE OF DENG XIAOPING IN SHENZHEN. THE
POLITICAL ADVISER RECALLS FROM THE MID-80S THAT PLA NAVY VESSELS
USED TO STAND OFF BEIDAIHE WHEN DENG XIAOPING WAS THERE DURING THE SUMMER. INDEED IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE THAT EITHER DENG OR YANG SHANGKUN COULD HAVE BEEN ON BOARD 729, GIVEN THE APPEARANCE OF THE PARADE ON DECK.
9.
AS FAR AS WE ARE AWARE THIS IS THE FIRST INCURSION OF PLA NAVY VESSELS OF THIS SIZE INTO HONG KONG WATERS SINCE THE 50S. WE PLAN TO CALL IN NCNA ON 24 JANUARY BUT WE WILL HANDLE THIS INCIDENT IN A VERY CAREFUL WAY. WE WILL INFORM NCNA OF THE FACTS AS WE HAVE THEM, HAND THEM PHOTOGRAPHS AND EXPRESS CONCERN THAT 728 TRAINED ITS GUN ON A HONG KONG POLICE LAUNCH WHICH DID NOTHING PROVOCATIVE AND WAS OPERATING IN ITS NORMAL PATROL AREA WELL INSIDE HONG KONG WATERS. WE WILL ASK NCNA TO INVESTIGATE THIS INCIDENT AND LET US KNOW THE RESULT.
10.
DESPITE OUR EFFORTS TO ENSURE NO LEAKS, THE CHINESE PRESS APPEAR TO HAVE OBTAINED SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE INCIDENT. WE ARE SAYING NOTHING TODAY. AFTER WE HAVE CALLED IN NCNA, WE PLAN TO SAY, IF ASKED, THAT WE ARE DISCUSSING WITH THE CHINESE AN INCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED IN DEEP BAY ON 22 JANUARY. WE DO NOT PLAN TO GO INTO ANY DETAILS.
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