SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
SECRET
3
020140
MDHIAN 2611
HKC062
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 31 JAN 1990
TELNO 196
OF 16090OZ JANUARY 90
ESK OFFICEA INDEX
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
Y
YOUR TELNO 115 THE
PRESENCE AFLOAT
FOR THE REASONS SET OUT IN PARAS 7 AND 8 OF OUR PAPER OF 28 NOVEMBER 1989 WE DO NOT (NOT) ACCEPT MOD'S VIEW THAT THERE IS NO MILITARY CASE FOR RETENTION OF THE PEACOCKS. ON THE CONTRARY, WE
CONSIDER THERE IS A STRONG CASE ON BOTH OPERATIONAL AND POLITICAL
GROUNDS FOR RETAINING THE PRESENT RN PRESENCE AFLOAT UNTIL 1997.
2. WE DO NOT (NOT) CONCUR WITH MOD'S PRELIMINARY VIEW THAT THE
THREE PEACOCKS ARE UNNECESSARILY SOPHISTICATED FOR THE RANGE OF TASKS TO BE CARRIED OUT DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD. AGAIN, THE ARGUMENTS ARE SET OUT IN OUR PAPER. MOREOVER, YOU WILL KNOW THAT THE PEACOCKS WERE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR USE IN HONG KONG WATERS.
3.
WE NOTE MOD'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE LIMITED OCEAN GOING CAPABILITY
OF THE THREE PROPOSED REPLACEMENT BIRD-CLASS VESSELS. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THESE VESSELS HAVE VERY LIMITED OVERALL CAPABILITY AND WOULD APPEAR UNABLE TO PERFORM AN EFFECTIVE ROLE IN HONG KONG WATERS. (JANE'S FIGHTING SHIPS 88-89 NOTES THAT TWO BIRD-CLASS VESSELS WERE FOUND UNSUITABLE FOR FISHERY PROTECTION WORK, WHILST THE OTHER THREE HAVE BEEN USED FOR TRAINING AT RN COLLEGE, DARTMOUTH.) GIVEN THE AGE OF THE VESSELS AND THE PRESENTATIONAL DISADVANTAGES WHICH WOULD ARISE SINCE THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE DISMANTLED AND FREIGHTED, OR TOWED TO HONG KONG, WE REMAIN FIRMLY OF THE VIEW THAT THE BIRD-CLASS VESSELS ARE NOT (NOT) A VIABLE
ALTERNATIVE TO THE PEACOCKS.
4.
AS THERE IS A PERSUASIVE CASE TO RETAIN THE EXISTING NAVAL PRESENCE AFLOAT IN HONG KONG, THE THEORETICAL POSSIBILITY OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT (HKG) MEETING FUTURE TOTAL OPERATING COSTS OUTSIDE THE DCA DOES NOT ARISE. HOWEVER, SHOULD SUCH A POSSIBILITY BE PUT TO FINANCE COMMITTEE, WE WOULD EXPECT THE PROPOSAL TO BE FIRMLY REJECTED. THIS WOULD PUT US ALL IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION, WITH QUITE POSSIBLY CALLS BOTH FROM LEGISLATORS AND THE PUBLIC FOR A COMPLETE RE-NEGOTIATION OF THE TERMS OF THE 1988 DCA AND A
CONSEQUENT FREEZE ON THE HKG'S FUNDING OF THE GARRISON.
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