SECRET
L'1⁄2m
plus a
special
Contribution,
of
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REF.
NEX
REF.
87
TO PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 386 OF 21 MAY,
DEFENCE CONTRIBUTION
FOLLOWING IS ANNEX TO MESSAGE IN MIPT.
1. HMG APPRECIATE THAT FEW IF ANY OTHER DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE COST OF THEIR OWN DEFENCE BY HM ARMED
FORCES ON THE SAME SCALE AS HONG KONG HAS DONE OVER THE YEARS. BUT
THIS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO OBSCURE THE FACT THAT THE REASON WHY
MANY TERRITORIES HAVE NOT PAID DEFENCE CONTRIBUTIONS TO HMG IS
THAT THEIR DEFENCE REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN MET BY ESSENTIALLY LOCAL
FORCES PAID FOR FROM THE LOCAL BUDGET.
2. HONG KONG IS NOT UNIQUE AS A DEPENDENT TERRITORY IN THAT IT
RECEIVES LITTLE AID FOR DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES FROM HMG. THE BAHAMAS AND BERMUDA ARE BOTH IN A SIMILAR POSITION AND HAVE BEEN SINCE
DEVELOPMENT AID WAS INITIATED.
3. IT IS TRUE THAT THE 1966 DEFENCE CONTRIBUTION WAS FORMALLY PRESENTED AS A BASIC CONTRIBUTION OF £3.5 MILLION PER ANNUM. HMG FOR THEIR PART AGREED TO THIS METHOD OF PRESENTATION AT THAT TIME IN ORDER TO ASSIST THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO SATISFY PUBLIC OPINION IN THE COLONY ON THE MATTER. AT THE SAME TIME, AS UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS WILL RECALL, HMG CONTINUED TO PRESS THE VIEW THAT £5 MILLION PER ANNUM WAS A NOT UNREASONABLE FIGURE FOR THE CONTRIBUTION. HMG ARE WELL AWARE OF THE PRESENTATIONAL DIFFICULTIES IN HONG KONG
OF AN INCREASED CONTRIBUTION AND WOULD ONCE AGAIN BE READY TO CONSIDER ANY PROPOSALS FOR EASING THESE DIFFICULTIES WHICH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ON THE ADVICE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MAY
WISH TO SUGGEST.
4. AS WAS STATED IN PARA 6 OF HMG'S EARLIER MESSAGE TO THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, THE CALLS FOR FINANCIAL AID UPON HMG ARE SUCH THAT THEY CAN ONLY BE MET ON A SYSTEM OF PRIORITIES BASED ON NEED.
BECAUSE OF THIS IT IS DIFFICULT FOR HMG TO ASSIST HONG KONG FINANCIALLY WITH ITS DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, IT MUST NOT BE THOUGHT THAT HMG WOULD NOT BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER ASSISTING HONG
KONG IN SOME APPROPRIATE WAY IF AN URGENT NEED FOR SUCH
ASSISTANCE WERE TO ARISE AT SOME FUTURE TIME AND A SPECIFIC CASE
WERE PUT FORWARD. MEANWHILE, HMG ARE ALWAYS READY TO HELP HONG KONG
IN OTHER WAYS WHENEVER THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO ARISES.
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/5 HMG