SECRET UK EYES BRAVO
106141
MDHIAN 0203
CAUSING IT TO TURN AWAY. I BELIEVE THAT THE NAVY SHOULD BE GIVEN AUTHORITY TO RIDE OFF. THIS WOULD, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE ALLOWED THEM TO FORCE THE TUG AND THE LIGHTER TO CEASE HEADING FOR CHINA ON 3 MAY WHEN THESE WERE UNDER THE CONTROL OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE CHINESE SECURITY OFFICERS. SCREENING WOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED THIS.
III) A CHANGE OF ROE 590C TO ROE 590C (1,3,4). 590C ALLOWS FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF RADAR CONTACT IN THE PRESENCE OF AND IN THE DIRECTION OF HOSTILE OR POTENTIALLY HOSTILE FORCES. 590C (1,3,4) ALLOWS FOR WEAPONS TO BE DISPLAYED IN THE PRESENCE OF AND IN THE DIRECTION OF CI.E. AIMED AT) HOSTILE OR POTENTIALLY HOSTILE FORCES. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE MOD AT OFFICIAL LEVEL BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE RIGHT TO DISPLAY BUT NOT TO AIM WEAPONS AT A HOSTILE OR POTENTIALLY HOSTILE FORCE. I AGREE THAT WEAPONS SHOULD NOT BE AIMED AT AN OPPOSING FORCE UNLESS THAT FORCE AIMS THEM AT US. BUT THE RN DOES NEED TO BE AUTHORISED TO DO SO THEN. I HOPE THAT WITH THAT CAVEAT 590C (1,3,4) CAN BE AGREED.
IV) CHANGE OF ROE 660A TO ROE 660C. 660A ALLOWS THE RN TO WARN SHIPS WITHIN HONG KONG'S SEA DEFENCE AREA AND TO ISSUE THEM WITH DIVERSION INSTRUCTIONS, BUT NOT TO ESCORT THEM OUT OF THE AREA. 660C WOULD ALLOW THE RN TO ESCORT SHIPS OUT. I SUPPORT THIS PROPOSAL, SUBJECT TO THE GENERAL CAVEAT ON ALL 4 ROE SET OUT IN PARAS 3 AND 4 BELOW.
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3. AGREEMENT TO THE REVISED ROE ABOVE WITH THE CAVEATS PROPOSED, WOULD ALLOW THE RN TO DEAL ROBUSTLY, BUT NOT PROVOCATIVELY, WITH SERIOUS INFRINGEMENTS OF HONG KONG WATERS. I CONSIDER THAT THESE ROE SHOULD ONLY BE AUTHORISED WITHIN AN INNER AREA OF HONG KONG WATERS. IF EXERCISED UP TO OUR FORMAL BOUNDARIES IN THE 2 BAYS (I.E. UP TO THE CHINESE COASTLINE), THIS COULD BE HIGHLY ESCALATORY, GIVEN THAT THE CHINESE IN PRACTICE CLAIM AND SEEK TO EXERCISE CONTROL DOWN TO THE MEDIAN LINE OF THE BAYS. IF EXERCISED ON THE VERY EDGES OF THE SQUARE BOUNDARY IN THE REMAINDER OF HONG KONG'S WATERS, THIS COULD ALSO LEAD TO A SERIOUS INCIDENT SINCE IT WILL OFTEN NOT/NOT BE POSSIBLE TO PROVE CATEGORICALLY THAT WE ARE WITHIN OUR OWN WATERS.
4. CBF AND THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE ARE TOGETHER EXAMINING WHAT THIS INNER AREA MIGHT BE. BUT IN BROAD TERMS IT WOULD BE SOME DISTANCE SHORT (POSSIBLY UP TO 1 MILE) OF THE MEDIAN LINE IN THE 2 BAYS AND OF THE SQUARE BOUNDARY IN THE REMAINDER OF HONG KONG WATERS. EXCEPTIONS WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE WHERE HONG KONG ISLANDS ARE MUCH CLOSER TO OR FORM THE LIMITS OF THE SQUARE BOUNDARY, AND
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