19
Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1A 2AH
CONFIDENTIAL
CJ Wright Esq DS5A
Ministry of Defence Main Building Whitehall SW1
HEK OTG!!
Telephone 01- 233-3274
RELLIVED IN AASISTRY NO. 5
2 1 SEP 1979
ACER
་
Your reference
радня
Our reference DPG 076/1
ISTate
tion Taken
21 September 1979
POSSIBLE SHIPS' VISITS TO CHINA AND THE SOVIET UNION
1. Thank you for your letter of 7 September, from which we were pleased to see that we can proceed with plans for the whole of TG 318.0 to visit a single port in China, probably Shanghai. (I understand that formal approval from Chiefs of Staff is expected next week).
2.
As you say, a visit to China does raise the question of a counter balancing visit to the Soviet Union. We would not wish to pursue the suggestion of C in C Fleet that TG 318.0 should go on to visit a Soviet port after Shanghai. Both the Chinese and the Russians might well feel unable to accept a visit by Royal Navy versels which had already visited, or intended to visit, the rival camp on the same trip. We do not think an intermediate visit to Japan or any other country would make any difference.
3.
There remains the possibility of a separate visit to a Soviet port by RN ships. Ministers were not enthusiastic when they considered a proposal earlier this year for a naval visit to the Soviet Union. They may reconsider their attitude in the light of an RN visit to China, but we would not wish to commit ourselves in advance of Ministerial views being sought.
4.
I suggest therefore that we proceed on the basis of a visit to China. Tony Cragg and Brian Watkins have agreed that once Chiefs of Staff have endorsed the group visit to Shanghai Tony will write seeking formal approval from the FCO for the visit to take place. We shall then submit to Ministers recommending that the Secretary of State write to the Secretary of State for Defence.
CC:
Mr Fursland, FED Mr Band, FESD
Mr Williamson, K&GD
GOUP UDENTIAL
D W Fall
Defence Department
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