TNAG-0357-FCO40-393-Registration-of-merchant-shipping-in-Hong-Kong-1972 — Page 107

CONFIDENTIAL

and at a time when the still fairly recent strandings and

collisions in the English Channel and elsewhere have focused

attention on systems of certification and supporting standards

it would be difficult for us to contemplate the introduction

of radical changes.

Flag of Convenience

9. If Mr Pao's proposals involve the conversion of the

Hong Kong flag into a flag of convenience, this would involve

major difficulties for HMG, for the following reasons:

(a) The UK is party to the High Seas Convention

which provides, inter alia, that a State must effe-

ctively exercise its jurisdiction and control in admi-

nistrative, technical and social matters over ships

(Hong Kong) flying its flag. The Colonial Secretary has in the

past pointed out to Mr Pao that a Hong Kong Register

would not exempt Hong Kong from the requirements to

meet its obligations under international agreements

entered into by the UK on Hong Kong's behalf. Hong

Kong would be unlikely to be able to ensure the main-

tenance of reasonable standards for ships and crews if

empowered to establish a flag of convenience since few

of the ships on her register would call at Hong Kong;

(b) Acceptance of flag of convenience registration

in Hong Kong would be difficult to reconcile with the

Decisions of the Consultative Shipping Group (Western

Europe plus US and Japan) which met at Ministerial

level in Tokyo in 1971: one section of their final

/Decisions

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