CONFIDENTIAL
FM SEOUL
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 303
OF 080748Z JULY 93
CONFIDENTIAL
HKA 063/1
JUL 1993
watch like.
138
043465 MDLIAN 4034
FOR FED
137
FCO TELNO 223: HONG KONG GARRISON: EXERCISES IN KOREA
1. WE ARE MORE RELAXED THAN YOU AND DO NOT (NOT) SHARE YOUR CONCERNS.
2.
WE WERE AWARE OF THIS PROPOSAL, THE DA HAVING BEEN APPROACHED BY THE AMERICANS HERE. LIKE YOU, WE ARE UNENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE SUGGESTION OF PARTICIPATING IN EXERCISE TEAM SPIRIT OR INDEED IN ANY OF THE OTHER LARGE SCALE TRAINING EXERCISES CONDUCTED JOINTLY BY US AND ROK FORCES. HOWEVER, WE SEE NO PROBLEMS ABOUT A PROPOSAL CONFINED TO UNIT TRAINING, PROBABLY AT COMPANY LEVEL, AT A VARIETY OF THE US TRAINING FACILITIES WHICH EXIST HERE. THE REMOVAL OF THE HONOUR GUARD IS IRRELEVANT. IT IS NOW WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE. THE OTHER ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF TRAINING HERE ADVANCED BY HQBF (PROXIMITY, EXCELLENCE OF FACILITIES ETC) STRIKE US AS LOGICAL REASONS FOR WISHING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OFFER.
3. ON THIS BASIS, WE DO NOT SEE ANY LINK TO THE DELICATE OR OTHERWISE STATE OF US/NORTH KOREA TALKS NOR DO WE JUDGE NORTH KOREAN REACTIONS, IF ANY, TO BE OF ANY GREAT SIGNIFICANCE. (THE NORTH KOREANS ARE FAR MORE LIKELY TO DRAW THEIR CONCLUSIONS ON THE STATE OF UK/NORTH KOREAN RELATIONS FROM OUR WILLINGNESS OR OTHERWISE TO GRANT THEIR OFFICIALS VISAS FOR VISITS TO HONG KONG THAN FROM TRAINING EXERCISES OF THIS NATURE WHICH NEED NOT EVEN BE MADE PUBLIC.) NOR DO WE SEE WHY THE SOUTH SHOULD MISINTERPRET THIS. THEY ACCEPT THAT THE HONOUR GUARD HAS GONE, UNDERSTAND WHY AND HARBOUR NO ILLUSIONS ABOUT THE DEGREE OF SUPPORT THEY WOULD BE LIKELY TO GET FROM US IN THE EVENT OF ANOTHER CONFLICT ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA.
4 -
IN SHORT, WE DO NOT (NOT) SEE ANY POLITICAL DIFFICULTIES ABOUT
A LIMITED PROPOSAL, WHICH WE WOULD BE CONTENT TO SEE JUDGED PURELY
ON ITS OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL BENEFITS. THE DA HAS SEEN THIS AND CONCURS.
1
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL