(Oriz on IRO67/03)
Page 238 9f 28-
Extract from Enclosure to Macau Despatch Ne.
December 12, 1957).
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The gradual closing of the Naval Dockyard at Hong Kong did unduly perturb opinion in Macau. In discussing it with me Commander Correia de Barros said that he well understood the necessity of reducing all such establishments abroad which would become obsolete in our new defence plans and was not surprised at the decision. At the same time, he could not but have some apprehension of the effect of the reduction of British naval strength and facilities at Hong Kong on Chinese opinion both in Macau and on the mainland. Invariably, in Asia, any withdrawal of apparent strength, even if it is in reality only a facade, gives rise to the opinion that the country concerned is no longer interested in holding on to its possessions and this opinion may have undesirable consequences in a crisis. I think the general idea about the closure of the dockyard is that it is a necessary but unwelcome step that had to be taken as part of a world-wide revision of defence plans.
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