LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS'S VISIT TO HONG KONG: 11-17 JANUARY
BRIEF NO. 6: DEFENCE
Background
1.
By far the largest of our remaining defence commitments to dependent territories is the maintenance of the garrison in Hong Kong. At present, we maintain nearly 10,000 troops there (including 4,500 Gurkhas) for two main reasons. One is to deter incursion from China though we recognise that we could not deter aggression if it occurred. The second and more important, is to help the civilian authorities in dealing with internal subversion.
Defence Review
2.
Large investments in Hong Kong by Britain and other countries are at stake and Ministers have concluded that we must maintain a garrison and a small naval presence there, though we shall seek economies where we can to bring the total cost of the forces down from its present level of £42 million at 1973 prices. As a further economy we shall give up the capability to reinforce the Hong Kong garrison rapidly. At the same time, we shall press the Hong Kong Government to contribute more to the cost than the 28 million which they provide at present. The Hong Kong defence contribution for the period April 1971 to March 1976 was for a total of £40 million to be provided over the five years. The amount within this for 1974/75 was £8.5 million. A small increase of £2.85 million per annum until the expiry of the Agreement has recently been concluded to take account of inflation.
3.
The actual recommendations of the Defence and Overseas Policy Committee to the Cabinet are important. On 9 September the Prime Minister said that the Governor of Hong Kong should be informed of the Government's firm view that the Hong Kong Government should contribute not less than three quarters of the cost of the garrison.
subsequent meeting on 18 September, he further directed that officials should prepare briefs on the basis that the Hong Kong Government would contribute not less than three-quarters of the cost
SECRET
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