CONFIDENTIAL
Mr Wilford
DEFENCE CUTS AND HONG KONG
1.
RE SIVAL IN
REGISTRY No. 51
25 APR 1974
1-KKIO/G
PIA
Mr Judd's office have now spoken to the Minister personally. He can think of nothing, either in his speech in Portsmouth last week, or in subsequent reports of it, which could suggest that he was talking of military withdrawals from Hong Kong.
The mystery therefore remains until we see Sir A Royle's letter, which has not yet arrived in Private Office.
2. All this may however be overtaken by BBC and other reports of impending defence cuts in the context of Mr Mintoff's visit. Hong Kong was not mentioned in the reports I have seen so far, which were confined to Malta, Cyprus and Singapore; but there is bound to be renewed speculation.
24 April 1974
CC
Mr Youde
Дебе
A C Stuart
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.
Mr. 24/4
CONFIDENTIAL