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Part I to COS 44th Meeting/67 6th June 1967
C. As the planned figures for reductions in the Far East, to be achieved by 31st March 1968, exceeded 20,000, the Commander-in-Chief, Far East, would probably not have to make large compensating reductions if the withdrawal of the equivalent of one major unit from Hong Kong was suspended, until after 31st March 1968.
a.
A number of amendments to the draft submission (1) were agreed. The submission is at Annex.
Summing up, SIR RICHARD HULL said:
(1) They were agreed that the submission to the Secretary of State would not include a request to reverse the decision of the Defence and Oversea Policy Committee to reduce the garrison of Hong Kong by one major unit, but would only press for a delay of this withdrawal until the end of this financial year.
He would forward their agreed submission to the Secretary of State.
(2) They would instruct the Secretary to send a signal (9) to the Commander-in-Chief, Far East, informing him of their proposed action and telling him that until such time as a decision to stop all planning for the withdrawals had been made, he was to continue with the necessary planning as discrectly as possible.
The Committee:
Agreed with the remarks of the Chief of the Defence Staff in his summing up.
Notes:
1.
9.
COS 1489/2/6/67.
Subsequently despatched as COSSEA 49.
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