TNAG-2057-FCO40-2935-Armed-incursions-by-China-and-Royal-Navy-rules-of-engagement-1990 — Page 59

CONFIDENTIAL

137704

18

MDHIAN

4. ON 16 MAY, BEFORE THE LEGCO QUESTION, THE POLITICAL ADVISER MET WITH JI SHAOXIANG OF NCNA AND ZHANG QINGPING, DEPUTY HEAD OF THE GUANGDONG FOREIGN AFFAIRS BUREAU, WHO WAS IN HONG KONG THAT DAY ON OTHER BUSINESS. ZHANG SAID, RIGHTLY, THAT THE CASE REVOLVED AROUND 3 POINTS: WHERE IT TOOK PLACE, WHETHER CHINESE OFFICIALS HAD BEEN INVOLVED BEFORE THE TUG AND THE LIGHTER WERE INTERCEPTED BY THE CHINESE PATROL VESSEL, AND WHETHER THE 5 CREWMEN WERE INVOLVED IN SMUGGLING. ON THE LAST POINT HE SAID THAT THE HONG KONG SIDE SHOULD EXPLAIN TO GUANGDONG AT A BORDER LIAISON MEETING THAT THE 5 HAD BEEN HIRED BY THE HONG KONG POLICE AND WERE NOT CONNECTED WITH SMUGGLING CA POINT WE HAVE MADE REPEATEDLY TO NCNA). ON THE OTHER TWO POINTS, HONG KONG SHOULD ADMIT THAT THE INCIDENT OCCURRED IN CHINESE WATERS AND THAT NO CHINESE OFFICIALS HAD BOARDED THE TUG AND THE LIGHTER AT THE START OF THEIR JOURNEY. A JOINT STATEMENT ON THESE LINES MIGHT BE THE WAY TO RESOLVE THE INCIDENT. EHRMAN MADE CLEAR THAT A FULL DISCUSSION OF THE FACTS WAS NECESSARY. OUR EVIDENCE ON WHO WAS INVOLVED AT THE OUTSET AND WHERE THE CHINESE PATROL VESSEL WAS DIFFERED MARKEDLY FROM THE CHINESE SIDE'S VERSION

OF EVENTS.

5. WE HAVE AGAIN BEEN OVER IN MINUTE DETAIL THE EVIDENCE WHICH WE HAVE. WE HANDED FURTHER PHOTOGRAPHS TO THE CHINESE ON 18 MAY SHOWING THE CHINESE PATROL VESSEL ALONGSIDE OUR OWN MARINE POLICE LAUNCH JUST OFF CASTLE PEAK POWER STATION WITH THE CRANES OF THE POWER STATION CLEARLY VISIBLE BEHIND (COPIES IN THE BAG OF 21 MAY TO PEKING). WE ARE QUITE CONFIDENT THAT OUR OWN PATROL VESSELS DID NOT GO BEYOND A POINT ONE MILE SOUTH OF THE MEDIAN LINE IN DEEP BAY AND ONE MILE EAST OF THE SQUARE BOUNDARY.

6. ON THE QUESTION OF WHO WAS ON BOARD AT THE START OF THE JOURNEY WE HAVE BLOWN UP THE ORIGINAL PICTURES WHICH WE HANDED TO THE CHINESE SIDE. FROM THESE THE SILHOUETTE OF THE MAN WITH THE GUN TAKEN IN NEAR DARKNESS CAN BE SEEN TO BE THE SAME AS THAT OF THE MAN WITH THE GUN TAKEN SUBSEQUENTLY IN DAYLIGHT. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED HIS UNIFORM TO BE THAT OF A CORPORAL OF THE PEOPLE'S ARMED POLICE, HIS GUN TO BE THE CHINESE VERSION OF AN AK47 AND THE UNIFORM OF ANOTHER MAN PHOTOGRAPHED AS BEING THAT OF THE PUBLIC SECURITY BUREAU. IN SHORT, THE FACTS SIMPLY DO NOT FIT THE CHINESE STORY.

7. DESPITE FURTHER PRESSING OF NCNA ON 21 MAY, WHEN EHRMAN POINTED OUT THAT IT HAD NOW BEEN TWO WEEKS SINCE WE HAD SUGGESTED A BORDER LIAISON MEETING, THEY ARE STILL UNABLE TO LET US HAVE A DATE FOR A BORDER LIAISON MEETING WITH GUANGDONG.

2

PAGE

CONFIDENTIAL