TNAG-1373-FCO40-1819-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 104

CONFIDENTIAL

4. In May

In May 1985, after preliminary discussions with Department of

Transport officials and other interested parties, the Hong Kong

Government published a consultative document containing detailed

proposals for such a register. The principal features of the

register would be that:

(a) its standards and obligations should be set out in local

legislation;

(b) it should not be, nor be regarded as, a flag of convenience;

(c)

it should operate to international standards;

(d) it should have a distinctive flag;

(e) it should be self-financing;

(f) it should be as

as possible to shipowners within

allow them to register and de-register

attractive

these constraints

and

their ships

quickly as

'red-tape'.

possible as

with

a

minimum of

Comments were invited and have been received from Hong Kong shipping and related industries. These are now being considered by the Hong

Kong Government.

5. The Embassy in Peking gave

in

publication.

So

no

the Chinese the Chinese a copy of the document

advance of

far we have received

official

indication of their views. When the Hong Kong Director of Marine visited Peking in September he was told by the Chinese Ministry of Communications that an official response to the proposals could only originate from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His impression was

that

Chinese the

Were

in

broad

agreeable

the receipt

of

more

terms

principles in the consultative document, but wished

position pending

to the

general

to reserve their

detailed

information.

CONFIDENTIAL