TNAG-2057-FCO40-2935-Armed-incursions-by-China-and-Royal-Navy-rules-of-engagement-1990 — Page 80

t

CONFIDENTIAL

121125 MDLIAN 1473

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 1598

OF 16110OZ MAY 90

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

MY TELNO 1559 (PERSONAL FOR BURNS AUSS): CHINESE INCURSIONS INTO

HONG KONG WATERS

1. YOU MAY WISH TO HAVE FURTHER BACKGROUND MATERIAL AGAINST WHICH TO SET THE PROPOSALS DESCRIBED IN TUR. THE INCIDENT ON 3 MAY WAS THE WORST OF A SERIES WE HAVE HAD IN RECENT MONTHS.

2. SINCE THE TURN OF THE YEAR WE HAVE HAD A TOTAL OF 16 SERIOUS INCURSIONS.

3. OF PARTICULAR NOTE WAS AN INCIDENT ON 24 APRIL WHICH WAS SIMILAR TO THAT OF 3 MAY. AGAIN, IT INVOLVED AN OPERATION AGAINST SMUGGLING OF VEHICLES FROM HONG KONG TO CHINA. MARINE POLICE INTERCEPTED A

VESSEL WITH SEVEN STOLEN CARS ONBOARD. TWO UNIFORMED CHINESE WERE ONBOARD AND, ON BEING CONFRONTED BY THE MARINE POLICE, DREW THEIR GUNS AND POINTED THEM AT THE POLICE OFFICERS. THEY CLAIMED THEY HAD ARRESTED THE VESSEL AND WERE TAKING IT BACK TO CHINA. THEY WERE SUPPORTED IN THIS BY A FURTHER THREE UNIFORMED CHINESE WHO CAME ALONGSIDE IN A SPEEDBOAT. IN THE EVENT, THE CHINESE BACKED OFF AND ALLOWED THE MARINE POLICE TO ARREST THE VESSEL AND THE CIVILIANS ON BOARD. ID CARD DETAILS OF THE 2 CHINESE OFFICIALS ONBOARD WERE TAKEN CONE WAS THE ASSISTANT COMMANDER OF UNIT 116 OF SHEKOU BORDER SECURITY, WHICH WE BELIEVE TO BE THE SAME UNIT INVOLVED IN THE 3 MAY INCIDENT - THE CPV VESSEL IN THAT CASE WAS NUMBERED BORDER SECURITY 116). A STIFF NOTE REQUESTING A FULL EXPLANATION WAS GIVEN TO NCNA BUT WE HAVE AS YET HAD NO RESPONSE.

4. ALTHOUGH THERE HAS NOT BEEN A PARTICULAR INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS WE HAVE PER MONTH, THERE IS A DISTURBING TREND TOWARDS A GREATER NUMBER OF FIREARMS BEING INVOLVED, AND INCREASINGLY BLATANT ATTEMPTS TO EXERCISE JURISDICTION IN HONG KONG WATERS BY CHINESE OFFICIALS. ONCE THE 3 MAY INCIDENT IS RESOLVED, WE PLAN TO SEND PEKING A FULL NOTE DESCRIBING THIS YEAR'S INCIDENTS, TO HAND TO THE MFA FOR INFORMATION. THE OBJECT WOULD BE TO STIMULATE A CENTRAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE GUANGDONG SECURITY FORCES.

1

PAGE

CONFIDENTIAL