CONFIDENTIAL
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[Mr Rifkind]
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Most grateful to Commander British Forces at Tamar for agreeing to link up Government House to Patron network so speedily.
This means we now have secure telephone links with all the key players in London.
Missing link is Peking. In the next few years, critical that we should be able to talk freely and frequently by phone to our Embassy both from Hong Kong and London. Absence of link represents serious security gap.
Simplest way would be to extend Patron. If this proves technically possible, most grateful for your agreement that MOD should press ahead with Patron's extension to Peking as a matter of highest priority.
سهل
Mak
(M J Dinham)
Personal Adviser to Governor
Peter Ricketts Esq
Hong Kong Department
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
CC
Richard Hoare Esq, PS/Governor (please pass)
A C Galsworthy Esq, UK Rep JLG
William Ehrman Esq, Political Adviser Eric Humphreys Esq, SLO, Tamar
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