CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 302
OF 310755Z JANUARY 92
CONFIDENTIAL
HKA 177/1
30
052466
MDHIAN 1380
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
4
PEKING TELNO 132 AND FCO TELNO 138: WATERS BY TWO HAINAN CLASS FRIGATES
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INCURSION INTO HONG KONG
1. I AGREE WITH PEKING THAT IT WOULD BE WORTH DRAWING THE MFA'S ATTENTION TO THE 22 JANUARY INCURSION AND THE WHOLLY
UNSATISFACTORY NATURE OF THE CHINESE RESPONSE. PEKING SHOULD BY NOW HAVE RECEIVED A SET OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS WHICH WE HANDED OVER HERE. I SUGGEST THEY HAND THEIR SET TO THE MFA. WE CANNOT BE SURE THAT A SET WILL ALREADY HAVE REACHED THE MFA FROM NCNA.
2. HOWEVER, I DO NOT THINK THAT PEKING SHOULD MAKE TOO STRONG A REPRESENTATION. ALTHOUGH UNPRECEDENTED IN NATURE, AND INVOLVING THE TRAINING OF GUNS ON A POLICE BOAT, THE INCURSION WAS NOT BY ANY MEANS THE WORST WE HAVE HAD. THERE WAS, FOR EXAMPLE, NO SUGGESTION OF CHINESE INVOLVEMENT IN ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES. THERE WILL NO DOUBT BE OTHER CASES WHEN WE WILL WISH TO UNLEASH A HIGHER LEVEL OF PROTEST.
3. WE ARE INCREASINGLY OF THE VIEW THAT FRIGATE 729 STRAYED INTO HONG KONG WATERS WHILE PRACTISING FOR AN ESCORT OF DENG XIAOPING FROM SHENZHEN TO ZHUHAI. DENG LEFT SHENZHEN FOR ZHUHAI AT 4.00 PM ON 23 JANUARY. THE POLITICAL ADVISER LEARNED FROM THE DEPUTY HEAD OF GUANGDONG PSB, IN THE MARGINS OF THIS YEAR'S ANNUAL BOARDER LIAISON REVIEW MEETING WHICH WAS HELD ON 27 JANUARY, THAT DENG TRAVELLED BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES BY SEA. FRIGATE 729, WHICH WAS DRESSED OVERALL, WAS LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN PRACTISING FOR THIS ON 22 JANUARY. WHEN OUR POLICE LAUNCH APPROACHED, WE SUSPECT 729 SUMMONED 728 TO COME UP IN SUPPORT. THAT DOES NOT OF COURSE EXCUSE 728'S TRAINING OF ITS CANNON ON THE POLICE LAUNCH. NOR THE BLATANTLY UNTRUE CLAIMS THAT NEITHER FRIGATE ENTERED HONG KONG WATERS.
WILSON
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ADDITIONAL
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MR HOWARD, SEC(O)(C) MOD
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