SECRET
Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1
Telephone 01-
(324
AJ H Ward Esq
DS6
MOD
Room 6264 Main Building
Your reference
Our reference
Date
22 October 1975
Dear Alan,
HONG KONG
1.
Nchi
KLF.
323)
Thank you for sending me a copy of your minute of 21 October attaching a revised draft of the statement which the Minister of State for Defence intends to make when opening the defence costs negotiations in Hong Kong.
2.
We have considered your draft in the light of Hong Kong telegram no. 1033 and the discussion at Mr Rodgers's briefing meeting yesterday evening. I now enclose a note containing amendments which we should like to see made to the draft. Although they seem to be fairly extensive, a good many of them are of a stylistic nature. For convenience, I am also returning the copy of the draft statement you sent me on which I have marked a number of further and minor changes which you may also like to consider.
3.
I am sending a copy of this to Hansford in the Treasury, but not to the other recipients of your minute.
Zorg von Mill
boles
DF Milton
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.
PS (to Mr Ward only)
I also enclose, for your own personal information, a copy of a minute I put to Sir Duncan Watson earlier today, which explains the purpose of a number of the amendments which we are suggesting. I should be grateful if you would bear in mind what Sir Duncan Watson has said in para. 2 of the minute he has written in reply to mine.
!
SECRET
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