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for all the "non-commercial" aspects of Hong Kong's external

relations.

We thus informed Hong Kong Government that, in the event of the "Otto

Hahn" visiting Hong Kong, we should wish to be satisfied that their

safety arrangements were satisfactory and "up to UK standards"."

5. We have recently been advised by the DOT that visits of nuclear

powered ships to the UK are governed by the 1960 Safety of Life at Sea

Convention (SOLAS). It was in fact the SOLAS Convention that governed

the "Otto Hahn's visit to Southampton last year. The Convention was

extended to Hong Kong in 1965 when it is presumed that the Hong Kong

Government enacted the legislation necessary to give effect to its

provisions. The Department's legal adviser has advised that it is

"the duty of the appropriate Hong Kong authorities to ensure that the

visit of the "Otto Hahn" is carried out in accordance with the

legislation" [implementing SOLAS] and "one could regard such visits

(as that of the "Otto Hahn") as being the, responsibility of the

Hong Kong Government along." There remains the question whether in the

event of an accident occurring during the "Otto Hahn's" visit to Hong Kong,

Ministers would be able to defend the arrangements made for the vessel's

visit. I think that they could do so. The fact is that the US nuclear-

powered ship the "NS Savannah" has called, without incident, at Hong Kong

on several occasions since 1967 (although UK officials decided after

the vessel's last visit that Whitehall would need to be involved more

closely in any subsequent visits). More important, if the Hong Kong

Government carried out the requirements of the SOLAS Convention they

would be following exactly the same guidelines, in respect of the

Otto Hahn's visit to Hong Kong as did HMG last year when the "Otto Hahn"

visited Southampton. If we took this view we would be placing on the

Hong Kong Government alone the onus of ensuring that all their

arrangements are up to international standards (and for paying,

/if

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