Mr. barter
12.
EXTRACT FROM C.O.S. 69K MEETING HELD ON 7. 2.67
2. EXERCISE CARICATURE
SECRET
The Committee had before them a Secretary's minute (1) covering a letter from the Foreign Office about Exercise CARICATURE, an amphibious exercise to be held at Hong Kong from the 13th to 21st February 1967.
SIR JAMES CASSELS (Acting Chief of the Defence Staff) said that this exercise involving quite large forces had been arranged, in the normal way, by the Commander-in-Chief, Far East, in consultation with the Governor and the other political authorities involved. They would recall that, at a previous meeting (2), during a discussion of the situation in China, the question of the desirability of holding this exercise at this time had arisen and although very anxious that the cxercise should take place, the Chiefs of Staff had invited him to discuss with the Commander-in-Chief, Far East, the Commander, British Forces, Hong Kong and the Governor, Hong Kong during his visit to the Far East, the possible implications of holding this exercise in the light of recent events in China. Since then, however, the situation had slightly changed as had been shown in recent telegrams and he now understood there was a greater risk that the purpose of the exercise might be misconstrued by the Chinese Government. Before making a decision on whether the exercise should take place or not, they would wish to hear the views of the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.
MR DENSON (Foreign Office) said that this was a very difficult time in our relations with China. Although there was no reason to believe that the Chinese wished to change the status quo in Hong Kong or promote disturbances there, it was nevertheless a fact that the ferment and unrest in China was on a scale not seen since 1949. This could lead to irrational and uncontrolled behaviour, particularly if the views of the Central Government had not reached or been accepted by the provinces. Within China, there was a considerable degree of xenophobia and the recent example of Macao and the pressure put on the Portuguese there as a result of spontaneous local action had to be remembered. If the exercise proceeded as planned, there were two main dangers. First, a wave of anti-British feeling might be
Notes:
1.
COS 1098/3/2/67.
2. COS 2nd Meeting/67, Minute 5.
3
SECRET
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