CONFIDENTIAL
HKA 177/1
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MDHIAN 3404
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 221
OF 180449Z FEBRUARY 92
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
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HONG KONG TELNO 418: INCURSION INTO HONG KONG WATERS BY TWO HAINAN
CLASS FRIGATES
1. FIRST SECRETARY CALLED ON CHENG RUOYU CHKMAO, MFA) ON 1 FEBRUARY TO DRAW THE MFA'S ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS OF THE 22 JANUARY INCURSION. BECAUSE OF AN OVERSIGHT DURING THE CHINESE NEW YEAR HOLIDAY HER REPORTING TELEGRAM WAS NOT SENT. APOLOGIES FOR THE DELAY.
2.
FIRST SECRETARY DREW ON HK TELNO 206 TO DESCRIBE THE INCIDENT.
SHE SAID THAT WE WERE DISAPPOINTED BY THE CHINESE SIDE'S RESPONSE
TO OUR EARLIER REPRESENTATIONS AND IN PARTICULAR BY THEIR FLAT
DENIAL OF THE DETAILED FACTS WE HAD PROVIDED. WE HOPED THE CHINESE
SIDE WOULD INVESTIGATE THE INCIDENT AND PROVIDE A FULLER
EXPLANATION.
3. CHENG REPLIED IN EXACTLY THE SAME TERMS AS USED BY YANG YOUYONG. HE CONFIRMED THAT BY ''ABIDING BY THE RULES OF THE GAME'' THE CHINESE SIDE MEANT NOT REVEALING DETAILS OF THE INCIDENT TO THE MEDIA. FIRST SECRETARY POINTED OUT THAT THE PHOTOGRAPH OF A FRIGATE USED IN THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN TAKEN
FROM LIBRARY SOURCES AND WAS NOT ONE OF THE ACTUAL EVENT TAKEN BY RHKP, AND THAT THE REPORTER CONCERNED HAD SAID THE DETAILS OF POLICE ACTIVITY HAD BEEN OBTAINED BY LISTENING IN TO POLICE RADIO SIGNALS. CHENG MADE NO COMMENT.
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4.
THE PHOTOGRAPHS REFERRED TO IN HK TELNO 302 HAD STILL NOT ARRIVED HERE WHEN FIRST SECRETARY CALLED ON CHENG RUOYU SO SHE WAS UNABLE TO HAND THEM OVER. THEY HAVE NOW ARRIVED AND WE WILL HAND THEM OVER WHEN A SUITABLE OPPORTUNITY ARISES.
MCLEAN
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CONFIDENTIAL
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