2600027
C.S. 20 A
From the Governor, Hong Kong
To the Secretary of State for the Colonies
Repeated to:
Repeated
to:-
Date..........
My Reference....
SAVINGRAM
Your Reference...
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No.
No.
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2
air space at will, and one in which they would have to take account of the risks of becoming engaged, with the attendant international repercussions. I believe that the value of even a very few fighters in situations elsewhere very similar to Hong Kong's has, in fact, been demonstrated in the past.
6.
Effect on Air Lines. Airline managements are particularly conscious that, in using Kai Tak, they take the risk of becoming involved in the political uncertainties surrounding Hong Kong. They could well become reluctant to continue operations into a terminal devoid of any means of challenging Communist Chinese aircraft. This could certainly be a factor when airlines were considering new routes or expanding their services to Hong Kong. This would have considerable ill-effects on the tourist trade and confidence generally, and the valuable traffic rights through the airport, which serve HMG well as a quid pro quo in international negotiations, might begin to lose their value.
7.
I understand that one of the practical difficulties which may be involved in maintaining a fighter presence here in future years is the com- parative shortness of the present runway at Kai Tak, when compared with the requirements of some modern fighters. While it is not possible at this stage to be absolutely certain that the proposed extension of this runway will go ahead, if it does, a further 2700 feet will be added providing a total paved length of 11, 130 ft., and will be ready for use some time in 1971. If, in addition, barriers or arrester wires were to be required, we could consider the erection of these. A further point related to the new generation of fighters is that the periodical visits of the older types, which are at present not frequent enough to meet the points I have made, will presumably tend to become even less frequent as time goes on.
8.
Whilst I fully accept that the need for this fighter presence in the purely military context is not easy to justify logically, events in Hong Kong since May demonstrate the need for them from a politico-military point of view. It is of course difficult at present to foresee how Hong Kong's relationship with China will develop over the next few years. But I am of the view that for some time to come an element of fighter aircraft here would contribute in a direct way to the maintenance of public morale and indirectly to the expansion of our economy with its considerable dependence on civil air traffic.
9.
The Commander British Forces is in agreement with these views.
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