TNAG-0022-FCO40-58-Facilities-for-US-Forces-1968 — Page 17

Reference..

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Sir A. Galsworthy

At (244) there is a copy of a Foreign Office

submission on the subject of United States naval

visits to Hong Kong. I understand that this submission is going to Ministers, the Fo

As you know, there has been for some time a

difference of opinion as between the Governor of

Hong Kong and Sir Donald Hopson in Peking over the

question of the future level of such visits.

Sir Donald Hopson has been continually putting forward arguments in favour of reducing the level of visits,

whilst the Governor, although agreeing to certain modifications in the arrangements for such visits,

a s laid down in the "guidelines", is definitely opposed to any substantial reduction in their scale.

The attached submission in fact entirely follows the line advocated by the Governor, with the

exception of one point related to the visits of nuclear powered warships. During the whole of 1967

there was a total of four visits to Hong Kong by United States nuclear powered warships.

The first five months of 1968 saw an equal number of visits by

this category of vessel. At the time that the "guide lines" were agreed with the United States authorities in 1966 nuclear powered vessels had not appeared on the horizon and the "guide lines"

accordingly do not provide for them. It is clear

that unless we take steps to provide for such visits,

they will continue to increase in numbers. Nuclear

powered vessels always attract the attention of the

Chinese Government and any marked increase in the

number of visits by such vessels to Hong Kong would be bound to provoke unfavourable reaction from Peking. The Governor has suggested that visits by such vessels should be spaced at intervals of not more

than one every two months. This would allow a maximum of six visits in any year and would represent a 50% increase on the number of visits last year. The attached submission recommends (paragraph 7) that the number of visits by such vessels should be limited to the existing level, viz: four visits a year. At the same time it agrees that, so far as this year is concerned, one further visit can be allowed. I am sure that this is the right line to

follow.

/ Apart

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