CONFIDENTIAL
From: BH Cousins
Head of Defence Secretariat 6
In milten
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Main Building Whitehall London SW1A 2HB
Telephone 01-2187036 (Direct Dialling)
01-218 9000
(Switchboard)
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Dru
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JAB Stewart, Esq, OBE
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Hong Kong Department
Whitehall
London SW1
Your reference
Our reference
D/DS6/46/66/1
Date
18 May 1977
Dear John,
HONG KONG DEFENCE COSTS AGREEMENT
pen5
Andrew Ward on my staff has mentioned to
Tim David that we have just had sight of correspondence (copies enclosed) between the Governor and General Archer (forwarded by the latter under cover of a general report to CDS) in which Sir Murray Maclehose asked to be consulted if there is to be any change in the existing arrangements for reinforcing the Hong Kong garrison. By this he evidently has in mind withdrawal of the Gurkha battalion in Brunei, on which the garrison depends for rapid reinforcement (and whose existence, as the Hong Kong Government is well aware, was what made possible in military terms the reduction of the garrison to the level erbodied in the DCA).
As you will know, work is well advanced in the Whitehall departments concerned on the preparation of HMG's negotiating position for what is hoped will be the final rounds of consultation with the Brunei Government in London next month (though there may now be some doubt as to how substantial the Sultan will allow those consultations to be). The reinforcement of Hong Kong, and the importance for DCA reasons of good relations with Hong Kong on this aspect, have been factors which the MOD has recognised but which it has not been possible to regard as overriding, especially in foreign policy terms. We have however tended to assume that once the Brunei negotiations have been brought to a conclusion, there must be consultations with the Hong Kong Government on the implications for their security in the absence of any secure or prompt reinforcement capability, before any public announcements are made.
CONFIDENTIAL
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