TNAG-0852-FCO40-1062-Visits-of-Royal-Navy-ships-to-Hong-Kong-and-China-1979 — Page 43

LOOSE MINUT E

D/DS16/4/1/2

Sec/ACNS(0)

Copy to: Sec/ACNS(P)

DN Plans

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

MKK 046/1

어

RELOVIO A

INDEX

2 3 MAY 1979

No! Pw

...en

PA

4. The Wiliam,

HKGD

+pa

DMW

DNOT

CNIT SP

DS5

FCO Defence Dept (Mr Janvrin)

NPW VISITS TO HONG KONG

Reference:

A. B.

•

D/DS16/4/1/2 dated 16 March 1979

ACNS(0) Letter P/62/3 dated 20 December 1978.

1 You will recall that, in response to a remit placed on DS16 by ACNS(0)'s predecessor, I recently advised on the question of surface NPW visits to Hong Kong; I subsequently briefed ACNS(0) on this topic before his meeting with CAPIC Hong Kong. I have since had an opportunity to conduct a fuller review of this subject and the related issue of increased usage of Hong Kong berths by NPWs. I thought it might be useful to draw some of the threads together and indicate the way ahead as we see it, with a view to ensuring that no advance commitments are made to the US Navy - formally or informally - which we might not be able to keep concerning their request for increased visits to Hong Kong.

USH VISITS AND BERTHING CRITERIA.

2..

COMSEVENTHFLEET plans for nuclear visits amount to 13 in each calendar year for 1979 to 1981, and 14 visits for 1982. One or two of these would be multiple visits by up to 3 ships. Assuming 2 multiple visits of 3 ships each, and 11 and 12 single shin visits for the period 1979 to 81 and 1982 respectively, all of 5-6 ders duration, it would only just be possible to meet the US's requirements within the guidelines laid down by the Hong Kong authorities and the current 91 ship days allowed. This is based on the assumptions that, at best, 5 day vists will be conducted and that no other nuclear ships will visit the colony over the same timescale, for the Hong Kong guidelines allow a maximum of 15 visits by nuclear powered vessels of all types and all nations each year.

3. While no RN mieloar submarino deployments to Hong Kong aro likely in 1979 our future needs are less clear. If we are to accommodate our requirements and those of the USN, with perhaps a small margin to cater for rare visits by commercial nuclear

COR

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