CONFIDENTIAL
Singapore to Hong Kong) for the erection of
a border fence along the Hong Kong/China
frontier and a little way south of the actual
border line.
(2) The sum of £20,691 being the cost of
stores provided for additional works services
on the border under a military operation
known as "Highland Bonnet".
4.
Border Fence
The circumstances in which this fence came to be
built and the purpose that it was intended to serve
are described in Hong Kong Tel No 1320 of 29 August
1967 (copy attached). The Ministry of Defence made
it clear to the Commonwealth Office in 1967 that they
would expect defence votes to be reimbursed for any
penditure incurred by them in connection with the
expe
SE
project. And in October 1967, the Commonwealth Office
acknowledged that such expenditure was not a proper
charge on defence votes since the fence was in the
nature of an immigration control measure (see
attached A copy of letter dated 4 October 1967 from
Hall to CASS).
C
5.
It is clear from the last sentence of Hong
Kong Tel No 1320 that the Hong Kong Government have
always maintained that the cost of the fence is not a
charge which they should be expected to meet.
support of the Hong Kong case, the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office have provided the following
information in addition to that contained in the
telegram.
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