TNAG-2406-FCO40-3499-Chinese-incursions-into-Hong-Kong-waters-smuggling.-With-pho-1992 — Page 116

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HKA 177/1

SECRET

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 23113OZ F C 0

TELNO 206

OF 23090OZ JANUARY 92

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

026476

MDHIAN 0335

TOP COPY Q DIST?

INCURSION INTO HONG KONG WATERS BY TWO HAINAN CLASS FRIGATES

1.

AT 1640 HOURS ON 22 JANUARY A POLICE LAUNCH STATIONED IN THE

SOUTHERN PART OF DEEP BAY SIGHTED A HAINAN CLASS FRIGATE ONE MILE NORTH WEST OF BLACK POINT (ABOUT ONE MILE INSIDE HONG KONG WATERS). THE POLICE BELIEVE THAT THE VESSEL CAME FROM SHEKOU. THE LAUNCH PROCEEDED TOWARDS THE CHINESE SHIP, WHICH HAD IDENTIFICATION NUMBER 729 AT THE BOW. THE POLICE LAUNCH'S CREW

MEMBERS WERE INSTRUCTED TO WAVE AND PRESENT A FRIENDLY MANNER.

2. THE POSITION OF THE CHINESE SHIP, WHICH WAS STATIONARY IN THE WATER, WAS FIXED BY THE POLICE LAUNCH AT 22 DEGREES 25.8 NORTH, 113 DEGREES 53.2 EAST. ON DECK WERE APPROXIMATELY 20 MEN STANDING AT ATTENTION IN BLUE UNIFORMS WITH WHITE SAILOR HATS. IT APPEARED AS IF SOME SORT OF PARADE WAS BEING CONDUCTED. ANOTHER 10 MEN WEARING GREEN UNIFORMS WERE SIGHTED ON THE BRIDGE.

3.

THE POLICE LAUNCH CIRCUMNAVIGATED 729 AND TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS.

4. AT THAT POINT ANOTHER HAINAN CLASS FRIGATE WAS SEEN APPROACHING FROM THE NORTH AT ABOUT TWENTY KNOTS. IT HAD THE NUMBER 728 AT THE BOW. ON APPROACHING 729, SHIP 728 SLOWED DOWN AND CROSSED THE BOW OF THE POLICE LAUNCH AT A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 90 METRES. THERE WERE ABOUT 20 MEN ON DECK IN FULL COMBAT READINESS WITH GREY HELMETS, FLASH HOODS AND BLUE UNIFORM. FIVE WERE SITTING AT THE FRONT CANNON AND FIVE AT THE STERN CANNON. ALL COVERS WERE OFF. THE STERN CANNON WAS POWER OPERATED AND THE BARREL POINTED AT THE POLICE LAUNCH'S WHEELHOUSE. AS 729 CROSSED THE BOW OF THE POLICE LAUNCH ITS CANNON MOVED IN AN ARC OF 100 DEGREES, SO THERE WAS LITTLE DOUBT THAT IT WAS DELIBERATELY TRAINED ON THE LAUNCH.

5.

WHILE 728 EXECUTED THIS MANOEUVRE, 729 SET OFF TOWARDS LUNG KWU CHAO. AT A POSITION OF NO MORE THAN HALF A MILE DUE WEST OF BLACK POINT, 728 THEN ALTERED COURSE, RENDEZVOUSED WITH 729 AND BOTH EXITED HONG KONG WATERS AT ABOUT 1705 HOURS.

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