TNAG-0852-FCO40-1062-Visits-of-Royal-Navy-ships-to-Hong-Kong-and-China-1979 — Page 39

Miss Johns

Defence Dept

E321

SHIP VISITS TO CHINA

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference....

HICK 076/1

RECIS 27850

N. WET &

See/15

®

1.

2.

Please refer to Mr Crow's minute to you of 25 July.

I am becoming a little concerned at the extent to which the Ministry of Defence seem to be proceeding with their own planning, without sufficient discussion with the FCO or consideration within the FCO. The arrangement of ship visits to China, or to the Soviet Union, or to both, or to one and not the other, is a highly political matter, and I believe our Ministers should be consulted (or at the least informed what is going on) at the earliest convenient moment. There also seems to be some confusion about what the MOD plans are. My understanding is certainly not that a ship visit to China is "a relatively remote eventuality" (Mr Crow's minute); but that it has been agreed in principle for some months, and is indeed at the centre of plans for a "Group deployment" next year.

3. I should be grateful if you could urgently establish what the position is; and consider the question of submission to Ministers, and let me and EESD know.

26 July 1979

cc:

Mr Crow (EESD W103) Mr Williamson (HKGD K24

Merhing-aprend Mr Williadem J 30.7

RC Fursland

Far Eastern Department K255 233 5539

827.7 PA

CODE 18-77

I believe

FED

we

should add ou

voice

to the

visit

ло

view. No visit to China

to Hong Kong.

bessing for an

We

have until recently been

RN voit to Hong Kong this autumn

Now there affear to be consicurable doubt whether a visit will take place at all,

next.

to

this

year

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