TNAG-0420-FCO40-466-Registration-of-merchant-shipping-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 144

GPS 500 PRIORITY

CYPHER/CAT A

FM HONG KONG Ø509207

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

pr

TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 725 OF 5 JULY.

M.I.P.T.

HONG KONG REGISTER OF SHIPPING,

SIN

ANX61

3

HKK 21/2

1973

11

it.

64

ра

2

MY ASSESSMENT IS THAT THE SHIP OWNERS HERE CANNOT BE PUSHED

FURTHER ON THE MANNING ISSUE. THEIR PRESENT LINE IS VERY

SIMILAR TO THAT WHICH THEY TOOK WITHH YOU WHEN YOU WERE HERE. THEY WOULD GLADLY ACCEPT BRITISH OFFICERS IF THEY WERE AVAILABLE, BUT THEY ARE NOT, AND THEY BELIEVE THE COMPETENCY OF THEIR TAIWANESE

OFFICERS TO BE PROVED.

2. THEY SEE THE MANNING PROBLEM AS A TRANSITIONAL ONE. IF A HONG KONG REGISTER WERE ESTABLISHED THEY BELIEVE THAT TRAINING FACILITIES

HERE AT THE POLYTEHNIC WOULD PRODUCE A STEADY INTAKE OF HONG

KONG RESIDENTS HOLDING BRITISH CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCE, WHO WOULD IN DUE COURSE RISE TO SECOND-IN-COMMAND AND COMMAND. BUT THIS

WOULD TAKE 12 OR 15 YEARS. THE PROBLEM NOW IS TO GET THIS PROJECT

OFF THE GROUND ON A VIABLE BASIS AND SO SECURE THE LARGE AND

RAPIDLY INCREASING TONNAGE OF HONG KONG OWNERS, AND DIVERT IT

FROM FLAGS OF CONVENIENCE.

3. THE OWNERS HERE ARE GENUINELY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE CONCEPT

OF A HONG KONG REGISTER. THEY THINK IT WOULD BENEFIT THEM AS SHIP

OWNERS AND ALSO BENEFIT HONG KONG. I TOO AM KEEN ON THE IDEA FOR THE SAME REASONS, AND BECAUSE (AT THE RISK OF VENTURING OUTSIDE MY PROPER FIELD) SEE MERIT IN THE CONCEPT OF A RED ENSIGN REGISTER WHICH ENSURED HIGH STANDARDS OF SAFETY AND COMPETENCE OF MANNING BUT WAS NOT SO RESTRICTIVE AS TO THE NATIONALITY OF OFFICERS AND PROVENANCE OF EQUIPMENT. OWNERS HERE BELIEVE THAT RELAXATION OF NATIONALITY RESTRICTIONS IS IN ANY CASE LIKELY TO BE THE FUTURE TREND IN OTHER REGISTERS, AND THAT THE NEW REGISTER

WOULD REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT SWING BACK FROM THE UNDESIRABLE USE

OF FLAGS OF CONVENIENCE WHICH THE RESTRICTIONS WRITTEN INTO THE

OLD MARITIME REGISTERS HAVE FAVOURED.

14. ΤΟ

CONFIDENTIAL