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8.
The defence relationship is ambiguous.
It is true that the
Hong Kong garrison constitutes a last ditch strategic reserve,
for which Hong Kong are paying a third of the cost. But the
garrison is expensive to us; while they are in Hong Kong they are
not available for anything else; and the Ministry of Defence
maintain that if it was not for Hong Kong we would not want to
keep the Gurkhas at all.
9. This leaves only Air Services. Hong Kong airport is certainly
valuable as a bargaining counter for British Airways. But the use
of this counter is apt to be resented in Hong Kong.
10.
In his final paragraphs the Governor touches on this question
of friction and resentment. His theme is that the underlying
relationship is sound and the contradictions ephemeral. There is
truth in this. In London we are apt to become buried in the
contradictions.
But it helps if the fundamental unity sometimes
has practical results, for example in the award of the mass transit
contract.
11.
At the end of the day I believe it is in our interest to stay
in Hong Kong because it is there and because we have a responsibility
to the four million Chinese who choose to live and work there.
would not today have chosen to create Hong Kong it it did not
exist.
Nor would the Chinese have let us. But this is not
relevant.
We
12. I am inclined to think that we should not circulate the
Governor's despatch further or send it for printing. He argues the
case well, as always. But reading this despatch, those not
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/familiar