TNAG-0011-FCO40-47-Kowloon-disturbances-1967 — Page 7

SECRET

OUTWARD TELEGRAM

FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)

TO HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)

248

RECEIVED IN

HUA 1/1

リク

13

Cypher

Sent 16 June, 1967.

2320Z

PRIORITY

SECRET

No. 1228

Addressed to Governor, Hong Kong

Repeated

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POLAD Singapore Washington.

230)

Your telegram No. 809.

Confrontation in Hong Kong.

An inter-departmental committee has been set up to consider questions such as those which you have raised. At present we intend to confine membership to a few departments (Sedgwick of course will also be a member), bringing in other departments ad hoc as required.

20

Our preliminary thoughts on your other suggestions are as follows:-

(a)

(b)

LAST

RF

200

We will send circular guidance to Commonwealth and foreign posts;

we agree that occasional visits by large American naval vessels may help to keep the Chinese guessing about American intentions in relation to Hong Kong. We think that some of the American requests for such visits could be accepted, each request being considered on its merits in the light of the situation at the time. Accordingly we are content that you should agree to the visit of the U.S.S. HANCOCK (your telegram No. 835 refers). We also agree that for the time being we should do nothing to reduce visits by troops from Vietnam (paragraph 2 of your telegram No. 727). We feel some doubts about more direct indications of American interest and concern in Hong Kong. There is perhaps a danger that these might serve the purposes of the extremists in China rather than

Clearly we need to look very

as deterrent.

255257 +261 actfully at the form and content of any American

вадо

(၁)

gesture of support. We are studying this and will let you have our further views;

we see many difficulties in the idea that Hong Kong might seek closer alignment and identity of interests with countries in the region that are regarded by the Chinese as "anti". What dividend this might bring for local confidence could be more than offset by the provocation it will give in Peking;

/(a)

SECRET