TNAG-0022-FCO40-58-Facilities-for-US-Forces-1968 — Page 11

CYPHER/CAT A

BUTINE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1346

249

TOP COM~~

SECRET

TO HONG KONG

2 AUGUST 1968.

SECRET.

ADDRESSED TC GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELEGRAM NUMBER 1346 OF 2 AUGUST REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO PEKING, WASHINGTON AND POLAD SINGAPORE.

6229

YOUR TELEGRAM NUMBER 883: U.S. NAVAL VISITS TO HONG KONG.

MINISTERS AGREE THAT IN THE LIGHT OF WASHINGTON TELEGRAM NUMBER

222062 AND YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE OUR OBJECTIVES CAN BE

ACHIEVED BY REDRAFTING THE INTERPRETATIVE NOTES WITH THE ADDITION OF A NOTE ON THE VISITS OF NUCLEAR VESSELS, WITHOUT A FORMAL

REVIEW OF THE EXISTING GUIDELINES.

2. IN REACHING THIS DECISION MINISTERS CONSIDERED MOST CAREFULLY SIR D. HOPSON'S RECOMMENDATION (PEKING TELEGRAM NUMBER 607) THAT VISITS OF LARGE OR NUCLEAR VESSELS SHOULD BE REDUCED TO ONE A MONTH. THEY FULLY ACCEPT THAT THERE MAY BE INCREASED CHINESE SENSITIVITY TO SUCH VISITS AT PRESENT, BUT SEE FORCE IN YOUR ARGUMENT THAT NOTHING SHORT OF A TOTAL BAN OR VERY DRASTIC REDUCTION IN VISITS WOULD BE LIKELY TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS A SIGNIFICANT AND PERMANENT IMPROVEMENT IN SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS.

3. YOU SHOULD NOW APPROACH THE AMERICANS AND SEEK THEIR AGREEMENT TO A REVISION OF THE INTERPRETATIVE NOTES ON THE GUIDELINES AS

FOLLOWS:

(A) VISITS OF NUCLEAR VESSELS SHOULD BE SPACED AT INTERVALS OF AT LEAST TWO MONTHS AND THE PRESENT LEVEL OF FOUR A YEAR SHOULD NOT IN GENERAL BE EXCEEDED. STRICTLY INTERPRETED THIS WOULD MEAN THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO FURTHER VISITS BY NUCLEAR VESSELS THIS YEAR. BUT AT THIS MIGHT BE ERRONEOUSLY INTERPRETED BY LOCAL

LAST

/COMMUNISTS

208.68 (repen)

841250

SECRET

(229)

RIF

2.50