TNAG-0021-FCO40-57-Facilities-for-US-Forces-1968 — Page 62

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PRIORITY HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELNO 560 4 MAY, 1968

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ADDRESSED CO TELNO 560 OF 4TH MAY RFI PEKING.

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THE AMERICANS ARE SEEKING CLEARANCE FOR A VISIT BY THE NUCLEAR

POWERED CARRIER USS ENTERPRISE FROM 24 30 MAY.

2.

T

THOUGH FOR THE TWO MONTHS AFTER THE TET OFFENSIVE THERE WERE

VERY FEW VISITS BY US SHIPS, THERE HAS BEEN ALARGE NUMBER OF VISITS DURING APRIL (BUT WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE GUIDLINES).

THE RECENT VISITS HAVE EVOKED A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF COLMENT

IN THE COMMUNIST PRESS, ON STANDARD LINES, ALLEGING THAT THE

US IS STEPPING UP ITS USE OF HONG KONG AS A BASE OF AGGRESSION AGAINST VIETNAM.

3. BOTH PREVIOUS VISITS BY THE ENTERPRISE HAVE ELICITED NOTES

OF PROTEST FROM PEKING. AN ADDITIONAL FACTOR ON THIS OCCASION IS THAT THE VISIT WOULD COINCIDE WITH THE PRESENCE IN HONG KONG

OF A NUMBER OF BRITISH SHIPS INCLUDING HMS INTREPID.

Comisse type assault

ship. Now necies.

4. THERE ARE NATURALLY RISKS OF THE CHINESE MAKING A FUSS ABOUT ANOTHER VISIT BY ENTERPRISE, HOWEVER, UNLESS THERE ARE UNFORESEEN DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG OR VIETNAM, WE WOULD ON BALANCE PREFER

NOT TO REFUSE CLEARANCE FOR THIS VISIT. GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS.

FO PLEASE PASS PRIORITY PEKING 208.

LAST

CEF.

BEXI

MR. GASC

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]

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