TNAG-2406-FCO40-3499-Chinese-incursions-into-Hong-Kong-waters-smuggling.-With-pho-1992 — Page 10

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1339

OF 300128Z SEPTEMBER 92

AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG

35

37

HKA 177/1

40

072720

MDHIAN 1183

TOP COPY Q DIST?

38

HONG KONG TELNO 2410 AND 2412 AND FCO TELNO 764: INCURSION BY CHINESE SECURITY VESSEL IN HONG KONG WATERS

1.

IN COUNSELLOR'S ABSENCE, FIRST SECRETARY CALLED ON CHENG RUOYU (FIRST SECRETARY, HKMAO, MFA) ON 29 SEPTEMBER AS INSTRUCTED IN FCO TUR. SHE LISTED THE OCCASIONS ON WHICH WE HAD ALREADY RAISED THIS MATTER WITH THE CHINESE SIDE (INCLUDING YOUR DISCUSSION WITH QIAN QICHEN ON 25 SEPTEMBER) AND SAID THAT SHE EXPECTED IT TO BE RAISED WITH AMBASSADOR MA WHEN HE CALLED ON HUM C(AUSS) ON 29 SEPTEMBER. SHE THEN SPOKE FROM, AND HANDED OVER A COPY OF, A DETAILED SPEAKING NOTE BASED UPON THE DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER'S SPEAKING NOTE (SENT TO US BY FAX). SHE STRESSED THAT WE REGARDED THIS INCIDENT AS EXTREMELY SERIOUS AND THAT WE EXPECTED THE CHINESE SIDE TO PROVIDE A FULL EXPLANATION.

2.

CHENG SAID THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THAT NCNA HAD GIVEN THE DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER AN ''EXPLANATION IN DETAIL' ON 28/28 SEPTEMBER (COMMENT: ALTHOUGH CHENG WAS ADAMANT HE MUST HAVE BEEN REFERRING TO THE EXCHANGE ON 26/26 SEPTEMBER). FIRST SECRETARY SAID THAT DESPITE NCNA'S INITIAL RESPONSE WE STILL AWAITED AN EARLY EXPLANATION OF THE CONDUCT OF THE PRC OFFICERS INVOLVED. SPEAKING PERSONALLY CHENG THOUGHT THAT THE REAL PROBLEM LAY IN A RECENT INCREASE IN SMUGGLING AND CHINESE ATTEMPTS TO PREVENT IT.

3.

FIRST SECRETARY REPLIED THAT A CHINESE SECURITY OFFICER JUMPING ON BOARD A HONG KONG MARINE POLICE LAUNCH, THREATENING HONG KONG POLICE OFFICERS WITH HIS WEAPON, CONFISCATING AND DESTROYING A FILM WHICH WAS HONG KONG GOVERNMENT PROPERTY ALL WITHIN HONG KONG TERRITORIAL WATERS DID NOT SOUND LIKE AN ANTI-SMUGGLING OPERATION. THE WHOLE INCIDENT HAD TAKEN PLACE IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, CLEARLY WITHIN HONG KONG'S WATERS AND WAS AN ATTEMPT BY A CHINESE SECURITY VESSEL TO EXERCISE JURISDICTION IN HONG KONG WATERS. THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE. CHENG FINALLY ADMITTED THAT THE INCIDENT WAS SERIOUS AND UNDERTOOK TO ENSURE THAT THE RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS WERE INFORMED OF OUR DEMARCHE. HE ADDED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD HOLD TALKS

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PAGE CONFIDENTIAL