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garrison at present stands at 7 major units having been reinforced.
5. The fighter aircraft were recently withdrawn. The naval vessels
(which were to have been withdrawm) are to be retained for the time being.
Air cover is being provided fron Singapore.
Local Forces
a Police Force of about 10,000 all ranks. This is an
6.
From local funds Hong Kong maintains:-
(a)
K
overwhelmingly Chinese in composition.
(b)
efficient force
a Volunteer Defence Force of about 900 strong of whon
about one-third are Europeans.
The reliability of these Forces could not be depended upon if doubt arose
about British intentions and ability to retain control of Hong Kong or if
disorders occurred after a prolonged period of subversion. There is steady
expansion of the Police Force but, because of the political situation,
there is no possibility of a local force dispensing with the backing of
British troops.
Defence Contribution
7. The Colony has paid an annual cash contribution to imperial defence since 1863. In 1958 this was fixed at £11⁄2 million per annum. In 1964
the Hong Kong Government agreed to contribute, in addition, up to £6 million
over the next six years towards the Army and R.A.F. works programme in the
Colony.
8.
In the context of the United Kingdon Defence Review a further
agreement was successfully negotiated in December 1966 under which the
Colony agreed to pay £5 million a year for the next four years. The
formula reached was that Hong Kong agreed to make an annual contribution
of £1.5 million plus a special additional contribution of £3.5 million
per annum towards the "local costs" of the garrison (which were assessed
at £9
G
10 million in a total cost of about £16 million).
19.
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