CONFIDENTIAL
B
4.
The Secretary of State has asked to see a paper
addressing all our out of area defence commitments including
Hong Kong, by 11 July. Work on this is in hand. In the meantime, it would be advisable to send a holding reply to
Mr King, so as to head off a unilateral decision by the MOD,
who are now most anxious to resolve the matter one way or
the other.
5. The draft letter also flags up the need to consider the
patrol craft issue in the wider context of the defence of
Hong Kong. The MOD are working on a review on the Garrison Withdrawal Plan, the main thrust of which is that, following
the events of June 1989 and the increased uncertainty about
the future, the Garrison should remain "stronger for
longer", ie the withdrawal should be delayed and phased more
slowly. It is not however clear how the costs of this
"stronger for longer" presence would be met. Final decisions on the Gurkhas are also pending. These too will
have very significant implications for Hong Kong.
ARPanc
A R Paul
BENAGQ/2
CONFIDENTIAL
Andrew.