TNAG-0358-FCO40-394-Registration-of-merchant-shipping-in-Hong-Kong-1972 — Page 103

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THIS DESCRIPTION MAY SOUND A BIT INFLATED WHEN SAID

BY A SHIPOWNER, BUT IT IS BASED ON HARD FACTS. IN ANOTHER

3 YEARS, TONNAGE OWNED OR CONTROLLED BY HONG KONG SHIPPING

INTERESTS IS ESTIMATED TO BE OVER 20 MILLION TONS DEADWEIGHT,

WHICH IS ABOUT HALF OF ALL BRITISH-OWNED TONNAGE, OR ABOUT 5 PERCENT OF THE, WORLD'S TOTAL, AND EXCEEDING THE TONNAGE

OF SOME OF THE SO-CALLED TRADITIONAL MARITIME COUNTRIES,

THE CATCH HOWEVER IS THAT EVEN THOUGH THIS SPECTACULAR

TONNAGE "BELONGS" TO HONG KONG, MOST OF IT IS NOT IDENTIFIABLE

AS SUCH BUT GIVES ADDED WEIGHT TO OTHER COUNTRIES' TONNAGE

STATISTICS, BECAUSE THE LARGE MAJORITY OF VESSELS ARE NOT

FLYING THE BRITISH FLAG OF HONG KONG REGISTRY.

THE REASONS THEREFORE ARE RELATIVELY SIMPLE TO STATE,

OFTEN DISCUSSED, AND MORE OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD, HONG KONG,

BECAUSE OF THE INTERNATIONAL LEGAL POSITION IT OCCUPIES,

HAS BEEN DEPENDENT ON BRITISH LEGISLATION IN MANY AREAS,

INCLUDING PROMINENTLY SHIPPING. ALTHOUGH THERE IS A LOCAL

STATUTE, THE MERCHANT SHIPPING ORDINANCE, 1953, WHICH LAYS

DOWN STANDARDS OF MANNING FOR BRITISH VESSELS LEAVING HONG

KONG, THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE DERIVES HIS POWERS AS REGISTRAR

OF SHIPS FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THE U. K. MERCHANT SHIPPING ACTS AND IS SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE REGISTRAR GENERAL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. UNDER STATUTORY PROVISIONS, A SHIP FLYING

HONG KONG BRITISH FLAG MUST HAVE BRITISH CERTIFICATED OFFICERS,

AND IN ADDITION THE SENIOR OFFICERS (MASTER, CHIEF OFFICER,

CHIEF ENGINEER, SECOND ENGINEER AND ALSO THE RADIO OFFICER) MUST BE BRITISH OR COMMONWEALTH COUNTRY NATIONALS, AND THIS IS WHERE THE FIRST DIFFICULTY LIES. PROMISING YOUNG OFFICERS

OF NON BRITISH

ORIGIN

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WHO ARE FULLY QUALIFIED CANNOT