CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2655
HKC 175/
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OF 090802Z NOVEMBER 92
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG
CORRECTED VERSION
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TITLE
040/1
43
85
034541
MDLIAN 3985
YOUR TELNO 1568: FREIGHTERS FAIRWIND AND MARINE KINGDOM.
1. THE HONG KONG SHIPPING COMMUNITY IS WELL AWARE THAT CERTAIN OLDER COASTERS ARE PERIODICALLY ENGAGED IN SMUGGLING GOODS INTO VARIOUS MARITIME COUNTRIES AROUND THE REGION. HONG KONG BEING AN OPEN PORT, SUCH VESSELS CAN TRADE FROM HERE WITHOUT FEAR OF HARASSMENT BY HKG. MOST OF THE SHIPS INTERCEPTED SO FAR ARE SMALL UNDER 3,000 TONNES. THE BIGGEST WAS UNDER 7,000 TONNES. BY COMPARISON, MAIN LINE CONTAINER SHIPS RANGE FROM 30,000 TO 50,000 TONNES. THE MAIN SHIPPING COMMUNITY IS NOT AT ALL CONCERNED BY RECENT CHINESE ENFORCEMENT ACTION ANY MORE THAN IT WOULD BE BY ENFORCEMENT ACTION BY ANOTHER MARITIME STATE. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG LINER SHIPPING ASSOCIATION CONFIRMS THIS VIEW. HE ALSO CONFIRMS THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT GENERAL INSURANCE RATES ON VOYAGES FROM HONG KONG WILL INCREASE AS A
RESULT OF THE CHINESE ACTION.
2.
THERE IS ALSO EVERY INDICATION THAT THE CHINESE ENFORCEMENT ACTION IS CAREFULLY TARGETED. APPROXIMATELY 1,200 COASTAL VESSELS, I.E. SHIPS UNDER 3,000 TONNES, ENTER AND CLEAR THE PORT OF HONG KONG EACH MONTH. EVEN AT THE HEIGHT OF ENFORCEMENT ACTION, ONLY 16 OR 17 SUCH SHIPS WERE REPORTEDLY INTERCEPTED, IN MOST CASES AS SOON AS THEY LEFT HONG KONG WATERS. THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES APPEAR TO HAVE GOOD INTELLIGENCE OF WHICH SHIPS ARE PICKING UP CARGOES AND WHEN THEY ARE LEAVING. THIS IS NOT PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN. WE HAVE NO INFORMATION ON WHERE AND HOW FAIRWIND WAS INTERCEPTED. HOWEVER, THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WERE CLEARLY WAITING FOR THE MARINE KINGDOM AND SHOWED CONSIDERABLE PERSISTENCE IN TRACKING AND EVENTUALLY STOPPING HER DESPITE HER MASTER'S ATTEMPTS TO EVADE CAPTURE.
PATTERN OF ACTIVITY STRONGLY SUGGESTS THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR AND, DESPITE THE ABSENCE OF ANY PUBLIC STATEMENT, THAT THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN HARASSING INNOCENT SHIPS. THE MARINE KINGDOM'S CARGO, INCIDENTALLY, CONSISTED ENTIRELY OF
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