but the second-in-command (first officer) could be either
British or a bona fide Hong Kong resident alien who had a
Hong Kong certificate based on examinations taken in English
or, as a further concession, in Chinese. Chief Engineers,
second officers and second engineers of new and transferred
ships would be accepted, on a once-for-all basis, on their
merits. This would involve individual inspection of each
officer's qualifications against guidelines previously
agreed by the UK and Hong Kong Governments.
Some officers,
possessing certificates issued by traditional maritime
countries, might be acceptable at once, while others might
be required to sit an oral or a written examination.
Decision would rest with the DTI seconded unit,
Finally, to meet objections of UK shipowners, these arrange-
ments should apply only to owners with unquestioned Hong Kong
residence or connections. Any extension to other, eg
European, Japanese or UK owners would be for entirely
separate consideration.
I believe that a manning concession on these lines, combined
with the guarantee represented by the secondment of DTI
surveyors that Hong Kong would not become a flag of
convenience, and the restriction of privileges to genuine
Hong Kong owners, should provide a widely acceptable package,
If you agree I will, after any necessary further discussions
hore, put this package to the Hong Kong Government.
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