CONFIDENTIAL
174261
MDHIAN 5901
BORDER LIAISON CHANNELS. PUBLICLY WE CONFIRMED THAT AN INCIDENT HAD OCCURRED AND THAT WE WERE TAKING IT UP WITH THE CHINESE.
5. THE POLITICAL ADVISER CALLED IN CHEN RONGCHUN OF NCNA ON 16 MARCH. AFTER GOING THROUGH THE FACTS, AND HANDING OVER A MAP AS WELL AS THE VIDEO (WHICH HE SHOWED TO NCNA ON THE SPOT), EHRMAN SAID THAT HE WISHED TO EXPRESS SERIOUS CONCERN AT THIS INCIDENT. IT APPEARED THAT MEMBERS OF THE CHINESE SECURITY FORCES HAD PENETRATED AT LEAST 30 KILOMETRES INTO HONG KONG WATERS AND, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXERCISE JURISDICTION THERE, HAD OPENED FIRE ON AT LEAST 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. IT WAS QUITE IMPOSSIBLE THAT THIS INCURSION, WHICH TOOK PLACE IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, WAS UNINTENTIONAL. CHINESE OFFICIALS HAD OFTEN STATED THAT THEIR VESSELS HAD NO INTENTION OF SEEKING TO EXERCISE JURISDICTION INSIDE HONG KONG WATERS. THIS INCIDENT RAN ENTIRELY CONTRARY TO
THESE ASSURANCES.
6. EHRMAN REQUESTED AN EARLY EXPLANATION, AND ASKED THAT EFFECTIVE MEASURES BE TAKEN BY THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO PREVENT ANY SIMILAR INCIDENTS IN THE FUTURE. COPY OF SPEAKING NOTE AND
MAP BY FAX TO YOU AND PEKING.
7 CHEN WHO DID NOT TRY TO DISPUTE THE FACTS, THANKED EHRMAN FOR THIS INFORMATION. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY AND
THAT AN INVESTIGATION WOULD BE CARRIED OUT. THE CHINESE SIDE DID NOT WANT THIS SORT OF INCIDENT TO HAPPEN. THE 2 SIDES SHARED A
COMMON AIM IN COMBATING SMUGGLING. FRIENDLY COOPERATION HAD BEEN
DEVELOPING BETWEEN THE 2 SIDES IN DEALING WITH SMUGGLING. CHEN THEN PREDICTABLY SAID THAT THE HKG SHOULD NOT REVEAL DETAILS OF
THE INCIDENT TO THE PRESS. THIS COULD CAUSE MISUNDERSTANDING.
8. EHRMAN SAID THAT WE HAD NOT GONE INTO DETAILS IN OUR PUBLIC STATEMENTS BUT THAT THE INCIDENT HAD BEEN SEEN BY COUNTLESS
PEOPLE. THE SHOTS HAD BEEN HEARD OVER A WIDE AREA OF TOLO HARBOUR. THE STORY HAD THEREFORE BEEN ALL OVER THE PRESS TODAY. HE HAD NOTED THAT WEN WEI PO ALSO COVERED THE STORY IN DETAIL, NO DOUBT OBTAINING THEIR INFORMATION FROM ONLOOKERS.
9. WE HAVE SENT A COPY OF THE VIDEO BY BAG TO PEKING. GRATEFUL IF THE EMBASSY COULD REPEAT OUR CONCERN AND PASS THE VIDEO TO THE MFA. CHINESE ATTEMPTS TO CURB SMUGGLERS ARE WELCOME. BUT THEY
MUST STICK TO THEIR OWN WATERS.
WILSON
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