SECRET
ANNEX B
DRAFT SIGNAL MESSAGE FROM SECRETARY OF STATE TO GOVERNOR OF HONG
KONG
I was grateful for your response to my letter of 15 April
and the paper on the future of the Hong Kong garrison I sent with
it.
I recognise the particular political difficulties you face
with LEGCO over the question of defence costs and can understand
why you feel unable to endorse the basic concept of retaining a
garrison based around two infantry battalions. I am concerned
however that paragraph 2 of your letter appears to imply that we
would be able to carry out the task of replacing the police on
the border with only one battalion. As the paper I sent you
makes clear if the garrison reduces to one battalion it will only
be capable, in the event of an internal security crisis, of
guarding the defence estate in Hong Kong and helping secure an
airhead for reinforcement. No military resources would be
available to relieve the police on the border with China until
reinforcement arrived.
You
Notwithstanding that, we will now address the early
reduction in the size of the garrison down to one battalion.
will appreciate that there are some attractions in this for us,
given growing pressures on Army manpower. The next step here is
for Ministers collectively to consider in OPD (K) the political,
military and financial implications of a rapid run down of the
SECRET