TNAG-0932-FCO40-1151-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1980 — Page 101

GRS 230 CONFIDENTIAL

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

RECAROR IN VATAY NO. 51

MAR 1980

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING 060315Z MAR 80

TELEGRAM NUMBER 20 OF 6 MARCH

INDEX

do

PA

REGISTRY Action Taken

Ais 7/2

INFO PRIORITY FCO, MODUK, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.

YOUR TELNO.323 TO FCO AND FCO TELNO.164 TO ME:

see (16

INCIDENT IN DEEP BAY.

1. FIRST SECRETARY CALLED ON ZHENG YAOWEN OF WESTERN EUROPEAN DEPT, MFA ON 5 MARCH AND SPOKE ALONG THE LINES OF PARA 1 AND 2 OF YOUR TUR, PREFACING HIS REMARKS BY SAYING THAT HE WAS SPEAKING ON INSTRUCTIONS FROM HMG, WHO WISHED TO EXPRESS THEIR CONCERN AT CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE INCIDENT.

2. ZHENG REFERRED TO THE INCIDENT DESCRIBED IN PARA 3 OF YOUR TUR, BUT DID NOT SUGGEST THAT THIS IN ANY WAY JUSTIFIED THE CHINESE ACTION IN THE DEEP BAY INCIDENT. HE SAID THAT AS A CHINESE PATROLMAN HAD BEEN DROWNED THEN HIS COLLEAGUES HAD REACTED EMOTIONALLY' ON THE OCCASION OF THE SECOND INCIDENTK-

3. ZHENG COMMENTED THAT THE INCIDENT HAD APPARENTLY OCCURED LESS THAN 1,000 METRES AWAY FROM SHEKOU, BUT DID NOT IMPLY THAT THAT THE RN HOVERCRAFT WAS THEREFORE AT FAULT, SINCE HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT BOTH CRAFT WERE INVOLVED ON THE SAME JOB IN OUR MUTUAL INTEREST. HE AGREED WITH THE SUGGESTIONS IN YOUR PARA 2 THAT YOU SHOULD DISCUSS WITHTHE LOCAL CHINESE AUTHORITIES WAYS OF MINIMISING THE RISK OF INCIDENTS AND RESOLVING THEM SHOULD

THEY OCCUR.

4.

THIS REPLY APPEARS SATISFACTORY, AND AS CLOSE TO AN APOLOGY AS WE COULD REASONABLY EXPECT. WE HOPE THAT THE OUTSTANDING

ISSUES CAN BE RESOLVED LOCALLY.

CRADOCK

FILES HKYGD

PS

PS/LPS

FED

DEF, D

PUSD

SIL, D. MAITLAND SIR A ACLAND

TSİMR BLAKER MR CORTAZZ PS/MR RIDLEY MR MULLAY PS/MR HURD

NEWS.D PS | PUS

OID

MR J.C.MOBERLEY

CONFIDENTIAL

COPIES TO I

HONG KONG GOVT

OFFICE LONDON