Mr Murray
HKK 026/7
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Minute
A CONFT Why
27
3 MAY 1978
PEAL
**
841 A
35 W Quer 2814
upten
Be Jall
LUNCH WITH SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE AND MR DENIS BRAY ON THURSDAY, 27 APRIL
244
1.
You asked whether there were any topics you wished us to raise when you meet the Governor and Mr Bray for lunch on Thursday. Most of the topics that are preoccupying us at the moment will have been covered in the discussions with Lord Goronwy-Roberts and the PUS but there are a couple of points that you could perhaps usefully raise.
Brunei and the Hong Kong Garrison
2. You are well aware of the Governor's concern over the effect
that withdrawing the Gurkhas from Brunei would have on our capacity to reinforce the Hong Kong garrison. I hope that by now the Governor is sufficiently reassured that, even if the withdrawal happens in the near future (which seems unlikely), adequate alternative provision for reinforcing Hong Kong can and will be
made. Just before General Sir J Archer left Hong Kong, he sent messages to the MOD suggesting that the concern in Hong Kong went beyond the simple question of reinforcement and that permanent strengthening of the garrison was needed. The MOD believe that this was a private hobby horse of the General's During my recent
visit the Governor told me that his concern was because he had
recently become conscious of the extra internal security problems posed by the new towns in the New Territories. I did not think it worth raising this subject in the formal sessions, but you might think it worth sounding out the Governor informally, to see if we are likely to hear any more of this idea.
Hong Kong and China
3. You will recall that Sir Lawrence Kadoorie recently caused some alarm when he suggested (in a letter to Mr Bray's brother) that he might raise the subject of Hong Kong-Chinese relations during his forthcoming private visit to London. Mr Bray, after
CONFIDENTIAL