TNAG-0420-FCO40-466-Registration-of-merchant-shipping-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 142

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PRIORITY

CYPHER CAT A

FM FCO #61820Z

CONFIDENTIAL

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PA

TO PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELNO 662 OF 06 JULY. 1973

FOLLOWING FROM STUART.

YOUR TELEGRAM NO 733: HONG KONG REGISTER OF SHIPPING

1, I HAVE PASSED YOUR TELS NOS 724 AND 795 TC NUMBER 18. LORD

BRIDGES ASKED WHETHER THE FACT THAT ONLY TWO MILLION DEADWEIGHT

TONS WOULD BE TRANSFERRED TO THE HONG KONG REGISTER IF WE

INSISTED ON BRITISH MASTERS, MEANT THAT Y K PAO HAD COME BACK

ON PART OF HIS OFFER TO TRANSFER SHIPPING TO HONG KONG. GIVEN

THAT HE REALIZED THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HMC TO AGREE TO MASTERS

BEING OTHER THAN BRITISH, DID HE EVER INTEND TO TRANSFER MORE

THAN A VERY FEW MILLION TONG AT THE MOST TO THE HONG KONG

REGISTER (YOUR TELNO 645)? WAS THE LATEST OFFER TO TRANSFER TWO

MILLION TONS MADE UP OF Y K PAO'S SHIPS ONLY? IF NOT, HAS HE

RETREATED EVEN FROM THE POSITION DESCRIBED IN YOUR TELEGRAM NO 645?

2. WE WOULD SE VERY GRATEFUL FOR INFORMATION ON HOW THE TWO

MILLION TONS OFFERED IS SPLIT UP BETWEEN THE HONG KONG SHIPOWNERS.

FIRST REACTION AT OFFICIAL LEVEL IN THE DTI IS THAT THIS AMOUNT

WOULD NOT BE WORTH THE CANDLE.

LOUGLAS-HOME

FILES:

IKIOD

M & T D

PS

PS/PUS

PS/MR. ROYLE MR. WHITEHEAD

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