§ 3.40 p.m.
THE MARQUESS OF READINGMy Lords, if the House will permit, I shall now intervene to make the statement for which the noble and learned Earl, Lord Jowitt, asked at an earlier stage. It is as follows. On the morning of July 23 a passenger aircraft of the British company, Cathay Pacific Airways, crashed into the sea near Hainan Island while on a regular scheduled flight from Bangkok to Hong Kong. The aircraft was carrying eighteen persons, including the crew. After a search, in which British and United States aircraft co-operated, nine survivors, including the pilot, were rescued by an amphibious aircraft of the United States Navy and brought to Hong Kong. One of the survivors has since died. The nationalities of all those killed, rescued and missing are being ascertained. The pilot, who was injured, stated that while flying at 9,000 feet about thirty miles from Hainan his copilot drew attention to two low-winged radial-engined fighter aircraft with red markings. These aircraft were on the tail of the passenger aircraft and opened fire, apparently with incendiary bullets, setting two engines on fire. The pilot of the passenger aircraft took evasive action as the fighter aircraft followed him and continued firing. He landed in the sea at 160 miles per hour.
24 Since the fighter aircraft could clearly only have come from Chinese territory. Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires in Peking was instructed to protest most strongly to the Chinese Government against this wanton attack on a clearly marked British civil aircraft flying on a normal international air route. We have now been informed by the Chinese Government that they admit responsibility for this attack, which they say was accidental. They have expressed their sympathy and regret and say that they are willing to give consideration to the payment of appropriate benefit and compensation for the loss of life and damage to property. Her Majesty's Government welcome this prompt offer to make amends for a savage and inexcusable attack upon an unarmed passenger aircraft.
Her Majesty's Government wish to express the deepest sympathy for all those who have suffered tragic loss. We should also like to express our appreciation of the co-operation and assistance in rescue and search operations given by aircraft of the United States Services.
§ EARL JOWITTMy Lords, I am grateful to the noble Marquess for making this statement, with which, on behalf of the Opposition, I should like to be identified. Here was a British aircraft, plainly marked, as the statement says, flying in full daylight on a normal international route. It was shot down; and the shooting down is said to be accidental. I very much hope that the Government will ask for some further explanation than that. I cannot see how this can have happened at all. This is a matter concerning British lives and, as I see from the papers, American lives as well, and Her Majesty's Government will certainly be acting with the whole country behind them in taking such steps as they possibly can to see that this sort of thing, shall never happen again.
LORD REAMy Lords, on behalf of noble Lords on these Benches I associate myself with the words which have just come from the noble and learned Earl, and I should like to thank the noble Marquess for his clear statement. This tragic incident, which we look upon with horror, with sympathy for its victims and with considerable apprehension concerning its future results, seems 25 to have been clear. I would add one reservation to the remarks of the noble and learned Earl. I believe the noble Marquess said that the Chinese Government are willing to give consideration to the payment of appropriate benefit. I hope that this point will be taken up and put strongly to them, so that they may not retract from making full reparation for this attack, about which I will say no more.
THE MARQUESS OF READINGMy Lords, I am obliged to the two noble Lords who have spoken. Perhaps I may add that we are at this moment taking urgent steps to assess the amount of damage, and a claim will be made immediately a figure can be ascertained. As regards the use of the word "accidental," that, of course, is the word used by the Government of the Chinese People's Republic. If I may make a personal surmise, I should imagine that the use of that word is based on a plea of mistaken identity. But these matters are still under discussion between ourselves and the Government of the Chinese People's Republic, and if we can find more information on the subject we shall certainly do our best to do so.