CONFIDENTIAL
RES IN REGISTRYN 1
3 SEP 1973
HKK 21/2
A SEPARATE HONG KONG REGISTER
DRAFT HEADS OF AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE BETWEEN UK AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
After
The Hong Kong Government and shipowners wish to establish a separate Hong Kong register of shipping under the Red Ensign with standards equivalent to those attached to the UK register but with
greater flexibility in order to reflect the situation in the Crown Colony as regards availability of personnel, materials and safety
equipment. This would enable Hong Kong shipowners to register a much bigger proportion of their tonnage in Hong Kong, extensive consultations and discussions, the UK Government accepts
that this should be done subject to safeguards which would ensure that, while certain conditions attaching to the Hong Kong register would vary from those in the UK, the resulting standards of safety and munning would be equivalent. In so far as the new register would result in ships of Hong Kong owners registered or due to be registered under other flags becoming registered in Hong Kong where high standards will be maintained, this will make a contri- bution to higher shipping safety standards generally.
2.
Conditions attaching to the Hong Kong register have yet to be formulated in detail but agreement in principle has been reached
between the two Governments. The heads of such agreement are set
out below. They would apply to ships registered in Hong Kong whether or not they trade to and from Hong Kong ports or
exclusively abroad.
a.
Masters of all vessels on the register will be British subjects with Foreign-going Masters Certificates. Officers other than Master may be aliens with command of spoken English adequate for their posts and who are in possession of appropriate Hong Kong certificates. Such certificates will be granted either as a result of
existing examination procedures or, in the case of experienced personnel, following a full assessment of training, certificates held and experience and an
interview by a Surveyor serving with the Hong Kong Government aimed at assessing technical competence
1 CONFIDENTIAL
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