Cypher
COPY FOR REGISTRATION
CONFIDENTIAL
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)
D. 5 June, 1967. R. 5
IMMEDIATE CONFIDENTIAL
#1
#1
10502
111
JUN
**
(1967
No. 778
Your telegram No. 1114.
Parliamentary Question.
I would propose rewording first part of answer (your paragraph 2): "U.S. service personnel visit Hong Kong for rest and recreation only. No special facilities are provided for individual servicemen by the Hong Kong Government. #1
2.
From April 1966 to May 1967, 149,000 U.S. sailors visited the Colony on U.S. vessels. During the same period 38,200 U.S. servicemen visited the Colony on the regular rest and recreation flights from Vietnam. In addition about 18,750 U.S. military and civilian personnel and dependants passed through the Colony during the year on military aircraft flying primarily on recreational programmes between various points in the Far East: some of these flights stayed in Hong Kong only a few hours and we are unable to provide a breakdown of the figures as between servicemen U.S. civilian personnel, and dependants.
3.
In addition, a number of other U.S. service personnel undoubtedly visited the Colony during the year under their own arrangements. We have no exact figures for this category.
4.
I am not at all happy that the figures in paragraph 2 should be used publicly, even as a total. To do so would restrict our freedom of manoeuvre in this matter in future. I would very much prefer you to decline to give any figures at all, but if you believe it essential that figures be given, I would recommend the following formula:
RECEIVED IN ARCHI n.63
- ÖJOR 1701
HUD 21,
"The number of U.S. sailors visiting Hong Kong on U.S. ships in the twelve months ending April 1967 was 149,000. It is impossible to provide an accurate breakdown of the number of other U.S. service personnel visiting the Colony by air during the period".
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CONFIDENTIAL
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