TNAG-0640-FCO40-788-Visits-of-nuclear-powered-merchant-ships-to-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 14

SECRET

- 2 -

At the same time both we and the Hong Kong Government recognised that

there could be technical difficulties in connexion with the insurance

and safety aspects. arising from the "Otto Hahn's" proposed visit.

In June this year, after lengthy correspondence with the Hong Kong

Government, the Federal German Embassy were told that "subject to the

ship's owners reaching satisfactory arrangements with the Hong Kong

Government on such questions as insurance and safety, we would have

no objections to the visit going ahead." These questions have still

not been resolved and it has become apparent that a number of

important aspects of the "satisfactory arrangements" that need to

be made turn upon the question of which Government, that of the UK

or of Hong Kong, is responsible and in what way for the safety and

insurance aspects of the "Otto Hahn's" visit. In the meantime the

German Consulate General in Hong Kong have asked if the "Otto Hahn"

can visit Hong Kong in October/November. The matter therefore needs.

to be resumed.

ARGUMENT

:

4. When the visit was first put forward, the Department took the

view that, while the Hong Kong Government, must be responsible for

making such administrative arrangements as are necessary to bring

the "Otto Hahn" into Hong Kong harbour, overall responsibility for

the visit lay with HMG. We considered that: -

(a)

(b)

*

Since HMG have overall responsibility for Hong Kong there would

probably be questions in Parliament in the event of some

accident marring the "Otto Hahn's" visit; and

While the "Otto Hahn" is apparently a civilian vessel, it is

mainly owned by the Federal German Government and its visit should

therefore be subject to the same clearance procedures as apply to

military vessels. Visits by warships are traditionally regarded

as "foreign policy" affairs and HMG is of course responsible

/tar mil