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4. IT HAS BEEN MY CONSTANT ADVICE TO YOU AND TO THE COUNCILS HERE
THAT HONG KONG'S DEFENCE CONTRIBUTION IN THE PAST HAS BEEN
UNREALISTICALLY LOW AND THAT THERE MUST BE A VERY SUBSTANTIAL
INCREASE THIS YEAR, AND THIS IS NO LONGER SERIOUSLY CONTESTED
BY UNOFFICIALS HERE. BUT THE LEVEL OF PRESENT CONTRIBUTION WAS
AGREED BY H.M.G., AND H.M.G. MUST SHARE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SITUATION TO WHICH THEY NOW OBJECT SO STRONGLY, AND IT IS NOT REASONABLE TO EXPECT THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG TO MAKE A COMPLETE CORRECTION OVERNIGHT AND IN CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES,
5. I HAVE ALSO CONSISTANTLY ADVISED YOU THAT THE SITUATION COULD BE CORRECTED GIVEN TIME AND THE MAINTENANCE OF A MINIMUM OF
GOODWILL: THIS IS STILL MY OPINION, I DO THEREFORE TRUST THAT
HAVING REGARD TO THE COMPARATIVELY SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY INVOLVED FOR H.M.G. THIS MATTER CAN BE HANDLED WITHOUT PYROTECHNICS AND IN
A SPIRIT OF MUTUAL CO-OPERATION IN THE FACE OF A MUTUAL PROBLEM.
WE MUST TRY AND FIND A FORMULA WHICH WILL DISPOSE OF IT FOR GOOD
AS A RECURRENT IRRITANT TO U.K./H.K. RELATIONS. GIVEN THIS
APPROACH MR RODGERS WILL FIND THIS GOVERNMENT ANXIOUS ENOUGH TO
HELP AND TO KEEP THE TEMPERATURE DOWN.
6. BEFORE MR RODGERS CAN DO ANYTHING HERE THERE ARE VARIOUS
POINTS OF DETAIL WHICH MUST BE CLEARED UP. THESE ARE SET OUT IN
MIFT. I HOPE THIS CAN BE DONE FAST.
7. THE QUESTION ARIGES WHETHER IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR OFFICIALS
TO MEET IN ADVANCE OF MR RODGERS' VISIT. I SHOULD LIKE TO ADVISE ON THIS AFTER WE HAVE CONSIDERED THE MATERIAL ASKED FOR IN
PARAGRAPHS 1 3 OF M.I.F.T.
MACLEHOSE
FILES
HKIDD (3)
DEF. D
SWPD
PS
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PS/LEAD TO RONNY- ROBERTS
SIR. 3. WATSON
MA LAR AG VA
MA SYKES
MR TBMSIN
MR MALE
Cofies
MR ANDREW. AUSS MOD
MR HANSFORD, TREASURY MR. BAYARS,
CABINET OFFICE
MR AGGLESTON, PSA - DOE
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