CODE 18-77
Mr Ricketts
D.P.C
SECRET
HKA 062/2
Reference
file
HONG KONG STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING: 19 FEBRUARY 1992
1. I attended the Steering Committee meeting which went quite smoothly. However I should like to bring to your attention the following matters which emerged:
a) There may be a need to have a military attaché (of some description) within the Consultate-General post 1997 to monitor whether PLA activities in Hong Kong are in line with the role prescribed in the JD. This is a new thought - and I understand attachés are not usually put in
Consultate-Generals - and the space and policy implications may well not have been considered yet. I alert Mr Morris to the space implications. I believe the MOD will be consulting the FCO on the policy implications when they have thought through this bat further.
b) There are, I regret to say, more possible areas of conflict between HKG and MOD on funding coming up. First there is the question of redundancy payments, both in relation to Gurkhas, and to LEPs and LECS in the run-up to 1997. Hong Kong do not accept any responsibility for redundacy payments for Gurkhas and are discussing the question of redundancy payments for LEPS and LECS. Second we have the question of helicopters, which, as you know, Hong Kong think should be cut down. Third we have the overall question of stronger for longer. As a result of our sending one of the earlier drafts of the 1991 review, Hong Kong have been alerted to the fact that the MOD may do very nicely thank you out of the DCA. There may therefore be some difficulty in that department. Oh dear.
c) With the run down of Special Branch, intelligience reporting for the Governor will increasingly have to come from the MOD people in Hong Kong. It is intended to place these under CBF and for CBF to task them. This may all be very logical, but it may well be used as a further reason why CBF should stay on ExCo. I merely flag it up as a possible counter arguement by the MOD in due course.
a) Exercised Winged Dragon will take place from 6-20 November. This is a full scale reinforcement exercise in Hong Kong and I confirmed that I saw no political reasons why it should not go ahead. It will be worthwhile keeping these dates in mind when considering China related talks/issues. From memory, I believe that someone from this department may well have to participate in the exercise but only in London.
CHAAGZ
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SECRET