TNAG-0504-FCO40-569-Review-of-narcotics-problem-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 6

Our reference:

CONFIDENTIAL

HOME OFFICE

Romney House, Marsham Street, LONDON S.W.1

Telephone: 01-799 3488, ext.

Telex: 24986

7 May 1974

55

Your reference:

55/5/1

Andrew Stuart Esq

Hong Kong and Indian Ocean Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Downing Street

London S W 1

Dear Andrew

LAST

REF.

Su

NEXT

REF.

I have today received the enclosed copy of a letter from Cusack, Chief of the International Operations Division of the US Drug Enforcement Administration, to Norman Rolph, about the Anglo/US/Hong Kong exercise, and this telegram from SH) Hong Kong to myself, which is the Hong Kong response to Cusack's letter.

As you will see, the US consideration of this matter has come to maturity at about the same time as our own, but I do not know whether you have yet been able to express our view to Hong Kong. Rolph's telegram to me somewhat pre-empts the correspondence which I believe you had in mind to have with the Governor on this matter but, subject to your view (and I would be glad to discuss this with you on the telephone or to come over to see you to discuss it), I suggest we should go ahead on the lines which Rolph proposes, viz., to arrange a meeting for two days in Washington, arriving 1st July and leaving 4 July. This would certainly suit me at present. So far as the agenda is concerned, I should certainly like it to be extended on the lines suggested by Cusack to include a report about the situation on trafficking from south east asia as a whole. I would also wish the agenda explicitly to cover trafficking from Hong Kong to the UK.

If, after considering this latest development, you are content forme to proceed to set up a meeting direct with Rolph, i.e. independently of any consultation which you may wish to do on a confidential basis with the Governor, I shall press ahead straight away. I would think it desirable for the agreement to which Rolph refers in paragraph 4 of his telegram to be sent to Cusack at this stage, as he suggests.

Yours sincerely

Chinbeyle Trai

C J TRAIN