CYPHER/CAT A
SECRET
IMMEDTATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE.
TELEGRAM NUMBER 705.
SECRET
रं
TOP COPY
TO HONG KONG.
16 OCTOBER 1970.
(HK)
43
161500Z.
YOUR TELEGRAM NUMBER 719: HONG KONG GARRISON.
FINAL DECISION WILL NOT BE TAKEN BY MINISTERS UNTIL MONDAY. DEFENCE
WHITE PAPER, WHICH WILL BE PUBLISHED ON 28 OCTOBER, WILL STATE INTER
LIA THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAVE DECIDED THAT THE BRIGADE OF GURKHAS
SHOULD BE RETAINED AFTER 1971 ON A BASIS OF EITHER 4 OR 5 BATTALIONS,
AND THAT ONE OF THESE BATTALIONS WILL BE STATIONED IN THE UNITED
KINGDOM. NO REFERENCE WILL BE MADE TO THE DECISION NOT TO INCREASE
THE ARMY GARRISON IN HONG KONG BY AN EXTRA INFANTRY BATTALION AT THE
ND OF 1971.
2. IT HAS NOT YET BEEN DECIDED WHETHER PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT
FUTURE SIZE OF HONG KONG GARRISON WILL BE NECESSARY, AS NO REFERENCE
WAS MADE IN THE 1968 SUPPLEMENTARY WHITE PAPER TO THE SPECIFIC
INCREASES IN THE HONG KONG GARRISON THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY AS A
RESULT OF THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO WITHDRAW BRITISH
FORCES FROM MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE BY THE END OF 1971.
3. IN CIRCUMSTANCES WE WOULD PREFER YOU NOT TO MAKE ANY PUBLIC
STATEMENT BEFORE YOUR DEPARTURE. WE SHOULD HOWEVER BE GRATEFUL
FOR ADVICE WHETHER IT WILL BE NECESSARY IN DUE COURSE TO MAKE PUBLIC
STATEMENT IN HONG KONG RELATED SPECIFICALLY TO DECISION NOT TO INCREASE THE ARMY GARRISON BY AN EXTRA BATTALION, OR WHETHER
IT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO SAY SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF THE
FORMULA YOU HAVE SUGGESTED.
SECRET
/4. NO..