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VISIT TO HONG KONG 6 10 JANUARY
REPORT OF UK TEAM
THE VISIT
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At their meeting in MOD on 18 December HE the Governor of Hong Kong and
DUS(P) agreed that an official team representing the MOD, HM Treasury and the
FCO should visit Hong Kong early in January 1975 with the main objects first
of explaining to the Hong Kong Government in detail the estimated costs of a
"reduced" Hong Kong garrison (including 53 teeth arm units) and secondly of
identifying the issues which must be resolved before negotiation of a
successor to the current Hong Kong Defence Contribution agreement can be
completed (options were to be identified where possible). The discussions
were envisaged as a development of talks already held between UK and Hong
Kong officials in London on 23 October 1974.
2.
The visit to Hong Kong took place on 6 - 10 January 1975. The composi-
tion of the UK team is shown at Annex A. The objectives which the UK team
set themselves are tabulated at Annex B. The team was not authorised to
negotiate. The discussions comprised a series of formal meetings with
officials of the Hong Kong Colonial Secretariat and the Police, at which the
chair was taken initially by the Colonial Secretary and subsequently by the
Secretary for Security, and, in addition, informal meetings with HE the
Governor, CBF and the Financial Secretary. Throughout the formal discussions
the team were supported by the staff of CBF Hong Kong.
3.
An agreed, but not full, record of the formal meetings has been prepared
by the Hong Kong Government (Annex C).
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