Outgoing Airgram from Acting Secretary of State James Webb to American Embassy, Paris

FORM DS-323 4-23-51 OUTGOING AIRGRAM 2540 Department of State 2540 XXXX SECRET - SECURITY INFORMATION CLASSIFICATION DECLASSIFIED Amembassy E.O. 12065, Sec. 3-402 Paris (EXCON) State Dept. Guidelines, March 6, 1982 By DEB NLT, Date 4-10-85 A-1234 FEb 21, 1952 04/1-2520 493.0 References: Embassy telegram 3969 January 3 Department = 3861 January 5 493.009 Embassy " 4622 January 31 (PARA 2C) 493-009/1-3152 COCOM DOC 561. (PARA 24C) Lisbon Despatch 572 February 4 160.539/2-452 Subject: Department's comments on suggestion by US DEL for measures to prevent discharge of strategic goods anywhere in Chinese waters except within the harbors of Hong Kong or Macao under customs supervision. The Department believes the reference suggestion by USDEL may be practical so far as shipments to Hong Kong are concerned but not for shipments to Macao. A recent comment by US CONGEN Hong Kong follows: "The increased shipping which has called at Macao as a result of Hong Kong's export restrictions against China consists mostly of vessels not exceeding 1,000 tons. These vessels sometimes enter the inner harbor, but mostly stand off in deep water and discharge into lighters which are subsequently towed to the Macao piers. Larger steamers, such as the Polish, Panamanian, and some British, sometimes anchor in so-called international waters between Hong Kong and Macao and discharge certain items into lighters which are towed to Macao, or occasionally to Chinese ports up the Pearl River.' The Department believes the reference to the practice of lightering in "international waters" is likely to render impractical the USDEL'S suggestions that cargoes be discharged only within Macao harber under customs supervision. Larger vessels (of the size which would be carrying cargo from Europe) are unable or at least do not enter Macao harbor and customs supervision is clearly impossible in "international waters". DISTRIBUTION US CONGEN DESIRED (OFFICES ONLY) 1 DC/R Anal 7 SECRET - SECURITY INFORMATION Rev CLASSIFICATION Corrections made on this original MUST be made on all Cat copies before delivery to Airgram Section, Telegraph Branch.