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Mr Burns
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CONFIDENTIAL
Malox
HKB 063/1 Mr Lux
RECEIVED IN
24/0
1
25 JUN 1991
FROM: A R Paul
M
Hong Kong Department
DATE: 20 June 1991
cc: Mr Cox
zaquel. Could you speak to him Ms Coglin
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197
24/6
und him a "collection of the they telegrams (and my lettes
HONG KONG: ROYAL NAVAL PATROL CRAFT
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1. When I called on the Governor in Hong Kong last week, he / registered strongly his concern and disappointment over the reaction of the Secretary of State on patrol craft. He said he would have to raise the matter with the Prime Minister, at least in general terms. I suggested that it might therefore be helpful if we alerted Sir Percy Cradock to this. Will you speak to him or should I?
2.
I should add that Mr Galsworthy was extremely exercised about this subject. He had urged the Governor to send a personal telegram direct to the Secretary of State setting out the military case for retention of the craft. He thought that Ministers would find it more difficult to "evade the issue" if formally confronted with the facts in
this way.
3.
I too confess to being somewhat perplexed to Ministers' attitudes to this. The CBF and all the military in Hong
Kong have stressed the case for retention of the craft (to which, of course, must be added the political and strategic arguments). How would Ministers expect the Hong Kong marine police to deal with a situation of growing incursions, unofficial or official, on the part of the Chinese Navy at some point between now and 1997?
Авівто
A R Paul
IMPAFC/1
CONFIDENTIAL