SECRET
GRS 400
PRIORITY
CYPHER CAT/A
FM HONG KONG 189310Z
SECRET
RÉCEIVED IN
REGISTRY No. 50
13 AUG 1975
AKKIOLI
TO PRIORITY F C O TELEGRAM NO 796 OF 18 AUGUST.
YOUR TELEGRAMS NO 593/594: DEFENCE COSTS.
ALL.
(243)
LAST
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THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED WITH THREE ASPECTS: (A) THE GARRISON MUST BE SUFFICIENT TO BE EFFECTIVE AND CREDIBLE
WITHIN FORESEEABLE CIRCUMSTANCES
(3) THE COST TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MUST BE WITHIN REALISTIC
BUDGETARY AND POLITICAL POSSIBILITIES
(C) AS AN INDICATION OF H.M.G.'S CONTINUING COMMITMENT A
PROPORTION OF THE GARRISON MUST BE PAID FOR BY H.M.G. AND
PREFERABLY SHOULD BE OF U.K. ORIGIN.
2. SUBJECT TO POINTS OF DETAIL IN MIF T AND PROVIDED THERE IS
SOME POSSIBILITY OF REINFORCEMENT (A) IS SATISFACTORILY MET IN YOUR TELEGRAMS, AS IS (C),
3. THE BASIC PROBLEM IS(B) WHICH I NOTE MINISTERS HAVE DECIDED MR RODGERS SHOULD HANDLE. HE WILL NO DOUBT BE GETTING ON TOUCH
WITH ME AND I WILL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO ASSIST HIM. BUT HE
SHOULD BE AWARE THAT TO ATTEMPT TO RAISE THE CONTRIBUTION FROM ITS PRESENT LEVEL TO £25M PLUS A LARGE ADDITION FOR INFLATION, AND TO DO SO IN ONE YEAR, AND THAT A PARTICULARLY BAD ONE FOR
HONG KONG, AND AT THE EXPENSE OF SOCIAL PROGRAMMES AS IT WOULD
HAVE TO BE, IS JUST NOT POSSIBLE. I AM BOUND TO ADVISE YOU THAT
HOWEVER STRONGLY H.M.G. PRESS WILL NOT ALTER THIS FACT BUT WILL
ONLY PRODUCE A CRISIS WHICH WILL BE TO EVERYONE'S DISADVANTAGE.
1 DO THEREFORE TRUST THAT MR RODGERS WILL COME ARMED WITH SOME
FALL-BACK POSITION, BECAUSE TO COME HERE TO SETTLE THIS ISSUE .
AND TO FAIL TO DO SO WOULD DRAMATISE AND EXACERBATE IT IN PRECISELY
THE WAY WE WISH TO AVOID.
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