TNAG-0020-FCO40-56-Facilities-for-US-Forces-1967 — Page 177

LAST REF.

itu.

SECRET

OUTWARD TELEGRAM

FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Secretary of State for the Colonies)

TO HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)

Cypher

HW B 2/1

Sent 5th January 1967.

23.20 hrs.

FLASH SECRET No.31

P

Addressed to Governor Hong Kong Repeated

"Peking, Polad Singapore, and Washington for information

Your telegrams Nos.1 and 12.

U.S. Naval Visits.

We have weighed carefully recommendations in your telegram under reference together with the views of Washington and Peking. We must accept that the Press within China and communist papers in Hong Kong are likely to react against the visit of any one of these three major units, although it is by no means clear whether Chinese would react proportionately strongly either in the Press or officially, if three visits rather than one took place. Secondly we are anxious to avoid U.S. suspicions that we are bowing to Chinese pressure before it even takes shape and, in these circumstances, we would be grateful if you would speak to the Americans (paragraph 2 of Washington telegram No.13 gives convincing reasons why action should be taken in Hong Kong) on the following lines.

We can agree to the visit of the FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, and are not unsympathetic to the visits of the PROVIDENCE and the LONGBEACH, but a final decision on the latter two ships can only be taken when we have seen local and Chinese official reaction to the visit of the FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT. Since this could mean at worst that the visit of the PROVIDENCE (flag ship of the 7th Fleet) might have to be postponed, at short notice, Admiral Hyland might prefer to come in the FRANKLIN. D. ROOSEVELT or alternatively, to avoid last minute changes, for their C. in C., the Americans them- selves might prefer to postpone the visit of the FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT until some time after the PROVIDENCE has visited Hong Kong.

Finally U.S. Consulate General should be reminded of the dangers of any statements either on or off the record made by senior officers, in particular the C. in C. which serve to publicise the visits or the ships and which could be used by the Chinese.

(Passed to D.S.A.0. for repetition Peking, POLAD Singapore

and Washington)

Copies sent to:

C

Mr.

Denson

Foreign Office (F.E. Dept.) -Ministry of Defence (D.S.5) Mr. Fitzgerald

SECRET