SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 273
OF 291143Z JANUARY 92
3
044546 MDHIAN 1080
SECRET
Rtps
HKA 177/1
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
2
OUR TELNO 216: INCURSION INTO HONG KONG WATERS BY TWO HAINAN CLASS FRIGATES
1. YANG YOUYONG OF NCNA CALLED ON THE POLITICAL ADVISER ON 29 JANUARY TO REPLY TO OUR REPRESENTATIONS ON THE INCURSION OF 22 JANUARY. HE READ THE FOLLOWING NOTE:
QUOTE ON THE AFTERNOON OF 22 JANUARY TWO CHINESE NAVY VESSELS WERE STATIONED NORTH OF THE CENTRE LINE OF DEEP BAY. THEY DID NOT ENTER HONG WATERS NOR DID THEY MAKE ANY DELIBERATE MOVE AGAINST A HONG KONG POLICE LAUNCH. IT IS ESSENTIAL TO OBSERVE THE RULES OF THE GAME PENDING VERIFICATION OF THE FACTS. OTHERWISE THIS WILL NOT HELP SOLVE PROBLEMS. UNQUOTE.
2. EHRMAN SAID THAT HE WAS VERY SURPRISED AT THIS STATEMENT. HE AGAIN SHOWED YANG THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND ASKED HOW THE TWO NAVY VESSELS COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE POSITION HE CLAIMED GIVEN THE APPEARANCE OF NIM WAN IN THE NEAR BACKGROUND IN SOME OF THEM AND THE APPEARANCE OF CASTLE PEAK POWER STATION IN THE BACKGROUND IN OTHERS. HE COMMENTED THAT IF THE LAST PART OF YANG'S STATEMENT HAD BEEN A REFERENCE TO AN ARTICLE WHICH APPEARED IN THE SUNDAY POST OF 26 JANUARY, HE HAD ALREADY POINTED OUT IN THE ANNUAL BORDER LIAISON REVIEW MEETING THAT THE AUTHOR OF THE ARTICLE HAD CLEARLY STATED THAT HE HAD OBTAINED THE FACTS FROM THE POLICE RADIO, AND THAT THE PHOTOGRAPH WAS NOT ONE OF THOSE WE HAD TAKEN.
3. YANG MERELY REPEATED THE STATEMENT ABOUT THE POSITION OF THE TWO NAVAL VESSELS. EHRMAN SAID HE REMAINED ASTONISHED BY THIS. HE WOULD OF COURSE REPORT THE CHINESE STATEMENT, BUT GAVE NO INDICATION THAT WE WOULD LET THE MATTER REST THERE.
4. WE HAVE FURTHER EXAMINED THE PHOTOGRAPHS (EARLIER SENT BY BAG TO YOU AND PEKING) TO SEE IF WE COULD EXTRACT MORE PROOF OF THE SHIP'S POSITION FROM THEM, BUT THERE IS NOTHING TECHNICAL WE CAN DO TO ENHANCE THEIR VALUE. AS IT IS, THEY SHOW VERY CLEARLY IDENTIFIABLE HONG KONG LANDMARKS, AND IT IS OBVIOUS FROM THESE
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