TNAG-0358-FCO40-394-Registration-of-merchant-shipping-in-Hong-Kong-1972 — Page 107

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HERE AGAIN ONE SHOULD NOT MAKE SUPERFICIAL ASSUMPTIONS

OR INDULGE IN GENERALISATION BUT LOOK AT THE FACTS. WHILE

IT IS TRUE THAT FOR VERY PRACTICAL REASONS THESE COUNTRIES

CANNOT OFFER DIPLOMATIC OR MILITARY PROTECTION ON THE SAME

SCALE AS BIGGER NATIONS, MANY OF THEM DO PARTICIPATE IN

INTERNATIONAL BODIES DELIBERATING ON NEW NORMS FOR STANDARDS

OF TRAINING, NAVIGATIONAL SAFETY, CONTROL OF POLLUTION

HAZARDS, AND SO FORTH, AND MAKE AN EFFORT TO IMPLEMENT

THEM.

BUT WHAT HAS ALL THIS TO DO WITH HONG KONG ? SIMPLY

THAT IT WOULD APPEAR TO MAKE A LOT OF SENSE FOR HONG KONG

TO DROP ITS PRESENT DEPENDENT STATE AND BECOME THE SECOND

BIGGEST FAR EASTERN SHIPPING CENTRE (AFTER JAPAN) BY TAKING

APPROPRIATE MEASURES TO ESTABLISH ITS OWN AUTONOMOUS

REGISTRY. I AM FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE

TO ACHIEVE, IF THE INTEREST TO DO SO IS PRESENT, EVEN THOUGH I

HAVE NO ILLUSIONS ABOUT THE INHERENT DIFFICULTIES OF SOLVING

THE JURISDICTIONAL AND PRACTICAL PROBLEMS BEFORE THE PATH

IS CLEARED, XXX I UNDERSTAND THAT BOTH THE U. K. AND HONG

KONG GOVERNMENTS ARE NOW SERIOUSLY INTERESTED IN EXAMINING

THESE DIFFICULTIES, THE BENEFITS FOR HONG KONG OF BEING ABLE

TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF A SITUATION WHICH GEOGRAPHICAL

AND HISTORICAL FACTORS HAVE PRACTICALLY THRUST UPON IT WOULD

INDEED SEEM TO OUTWEIGH EASILY THE EXTRA EFFOETS INVOLVED

IN MAKING A "SHIPPING CENTRE" OUT OF IT. AFTER ALL, WITH A

POPULATION OF OVER 4 MILLION, HONG KONG IS BIGGER THAN, SAY,

NORWAY WHICH HAS NEVERTHELESS ACHIEVED CONSIDERABLE PRO-

MINENCE IN THE SHIPPING WORLD.

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