Take
HW34/2
TOP SECRET
DRAFT LETTER TO COVER DEPARTMENTAL CIRCULATION
OF DRAFT LONG-TERM STUDY ON HONG KONG
and
I enclose a complete draft of all sections of the Defence
Review Working Party's long-term study on the future of Hong Kong.
Sections A-E were originally circulated under OPDO (DR)(17)52
of 18 August. They have been revised in accordance with the minutes of the Working Party (OPDO(DR) (67)35th Meeting, Item 3), Cooper's letter D22/9B of 24 August je Annex B of OPDO(DR)(67)56
of 6 September. The opportunity has been taken to introduce
a few other minor amendmente some made necessary by the
passage of time (e.g. updating of the sterling balances figures in paragraph 14 of Section B and deletion of the reference to
"the maritime force from Australia" at the end of paragraph 3 of
that Section).
There are some points to be considered on Sections A-E in
their present form -
mslp (11) I think you will agree that in the light of developments
Section D: Chinese Intentions needs extensive revision;
perhaps we should look again too at paragraph 9 of
Section C.
Conclusions (f) - (j) in Section G
purport to cover Section D. They do not in fact do so
as the Section is now drafted: I have used these
conclusions as a vehicle to suggest the lines on
which a new Section D might be framed, (You will no
doubt realise that I have drawn on JIC(68)15 (Final):
The Threat to Hong Kong, of which we shall need to take
account). When we do revise Section D, I hope that
it may be possible to compress these particular
conclusions.
/ (11)