CONFIDENTIAL
HKA 062/1
62J 1993
X
M26/5
Mr Morris Mr Hum
PS/Mr Goodlad
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I agree land have
amandad the line!)
FROM: R A J Bunten
Hong Kong Dept
DATE: 26 May 1993
Съни 2615
MR GOODLAD ́S VISIT TO HONG KONG: DEFENCE MATTERS
1. I understand that PS/Mr Goodlad is a personal friend of the Civilian Adviser to CBF Hong Kong and has offered to pass on any points we would wish to make.
2. I recommend that if an opportunity arises PS/Mr Goodlad might make the following points.
- We are at a very delicate stage in our dealings with the Chinese over constitutional proposals. Even if the current negotiations yield fruit this sensitivity is likely to increase in the next four years.
Frankly some of the comments by members of the garrison and leaks attributed to garrison members have really not been helpful. We hope that it can be made clear to members of the garrison that they should be extremely careful about their dealings with the press, and [if possible] should not speak
without clearance.
Background
More
3. There have been an number of damaging leaks recently which have been sourced to the garrison. The first was the revelation of Exercise Winged Dragon and that it was predicated upon a Chinese threat to invade Hong Kong. This lead to the cancellation of the exercise which was intended to improve the ability of the garrison to receive reinforcements. recently CAPIC Hong Kong has been quoted in the press as suggesting that the Naval presence in Hong Kong might be used to intervene in cases of piracy and Chinese interceptions of shipping outside Hong Kong waters. We have just heard that a brigadier in the garrison has informed the press of the decision to deploy one of the Gurkha battalions for a temporary tour of duty in Belize, before we had informed either Exco or the Chinese of this decision.
4.
On a related matter CAPIC appears to have been briefing members of the House of Lords in terms which oppose Government
CONFIDENTIAL
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