CONFIDENTIAL
497
Na O'Keefe
9/12
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PS/Lord Goropwy-Roberts
HONG KONG: DEFENCE COSTS AGREEMENT
1. This Agreement (copy attached) was signed by Mr William Rodgers and Sir Murray MacLehose this morning.
2. You will recall that formal agreement was reached on
8 December with the timing of the announcement held over until it was clear that Hong Kong would not be affected by import controls. The Chancellor's announcement in the House yesterday of the Government's economic measures thus cleared the way for the conclusion of negotiations with Hong Kong on defence costs.
3. The Agreement will be announced at 11.00 a.m. tomorrow morning (text of press statement attached). It will also be announced in Parliament tomorrow in reply to a written PQ. We do not have the formal text of the proposed reply which is being cleared with No. 10.
18 December 1975
Сс
Mr Larmour
Mr Cortazzi
Mr Male PS/PUS PS
Mellesl
PL O'Keeffe
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.
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Goronwy Roberts
19/12
CONFIDENTIAL