Masters and Taiwan, Chinese and South Korean Certificates, would be likely to lead to Y K Pao and C Y Tung registering their ships in Hong Kong. I have been warned by the FCO that the Governor may react against a suggestion that they might not be able to hold their line against pressure from Pao but we think it worth enquiring whether the Governor thinks it wise to put his Administration under the pressure for further relaxations which would be likely to follow one set of conces- sions.
We think too that it would be useful to discuss with the Governor the possibility that UK companies might wish to transfer their ships from UK to Hong Kong to take advantage of new manning arrangements. Point 16 of Standen's note records that the right to register would probably be restricted to Hong Kong residents and companies with their principal place of business in Hong Kong. It would be helpful to know in greater detail how the Hong Kong Government would propose to handle this. Geoffrey Brigstocke has raised the interesting question whether if the Hong Kong register were limited to Hong Kong residents, firms like Jardine Hatheson and Butterfield and Swire would be unable to register their ships there.
Pinally, we think it might be worth delving further into the reasons why the Hong Kong Government are keen to get the ships of the big Hong Kong owners registered there. Geoffrey Brigstocks's brief to the Minister deals with this question.
I hope you are enjoying your visits and this rather formidable collection of paper does not spoil the Hong Kong part of your itinerary.
JN ARCHER
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