TNAG-0420-FCO40-466-Registration-of-merchant-shipping-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 31

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CONFIDENTIAL

Reference HKK 21/2

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No.61

Mr G L Clark(FED)

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HONG KONG REGISTER OF SHIPPING

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As you know officials of the Hong Kong Department of Marine have been discussing with the DTI the possibility of setting up an independent Hong Kong Register of Shipping. If the Register is established it will be necessary for it to have similar standards to those of the UK Register.

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As part of the process of ensuring that the Hong Kong Government could maintain these standards it has been agreed that a DTI team should visit the colony for two to three months this autumn to look into the questions such as safety standards and training and certification arrangements of non-British officers.

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The purpose of this minute is to take up a point with you in respect of Taiwanese training and certification arrangements. The Hong Kong Department. of Marine expect that a large number of the officers (and crew) of ships owned by Hong Kong ship owners and which might be transferred to an independent Hong Kong Register, could come originally from Taiwan. Although it would be necessary for them to establish residents status in Hong Kong it is likely that their training will have taken place in Taiwan.

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4. In the telegram which Mr Standen in DTI Marine Division wished to send to Hong Kong a passage was included concerning the visit of the DTI team to Taiwan for the purpose of looking into Taiwanese training and certification arrangements.. Because of the Government regulation that no Government officials should visit Taiwan on official business Mr Archer, Under- Secretary in the Marine Division DTI, agreed that this passage should be omitted. He has however sent me a message saying that his initial reaction is that it is essential for DTI officials to look into this themselves on the ground. He ruled out the possibility of any other agency eg Lloyds, doing this for them. Mr Archer's message continued that unless DTI officials were allowed to go to Taiwan he thought it would not be possible for the DTI to agree to the establishment of a separate Hong Kong Register, although you will of course be aware that the Prime Minister has been exerting pressure on the DTI to get this Register established.

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CONFIDENTIAL

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