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ANNEX A to DP 9/68 (Final) (Continued)
battalion is held in Singapore and will be permanently established in Hong Kong when no longer required in Singapore.
Royal Air Force
15. The Royal Air Force presence in Hong Kong consists of a force of six Whirlwind helicopters to give vital mobility to ground forces, particularly in an internal security situation. The staging post at Kai Tak has been strengthened, since May 1967, by up to two RAF Regiment Flights detached from the Singapore- based squadrons. Administrative support is provided by Kai Tak for these units, together with the signal and radar station at Tai Mo Shan. A fighter presence is provided periodically by a training detachment of Hunter aircraft from Singapore. In an emergency, reinforcements can be provided from the Far East Air Force and from outside the theatre.
IMPLICATIONS OF WITHDRAWAL FROM
MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE
Chinese Reaction
16. The situation nearly four years hence will inevitably be affected by any outcome of the Vietnamese war. The present
intelligence assessment is that the external threat to Hong Kong is unlikely to change in the near future. It may be argued that one factor to be considered, so long as United States forces remain in the Far East, is the uncertainty of American reaction to any Chinese aggression. However, China
will be aware that reinforcements for the Hong Kong Garrison will have to come from the European theatre after the closure of our main base at Singapore and, consequently, may exploit the psychological effect on the inhabitants of the Colony of the comparative isolation of British Forces. Also, when all Gurkha forces are concentrated in the Colony, there will be
increased opportunity for China to bring pressure to bear on
Nepal, which might reduce the usefulness of the Gurkhas.
Hong Kong Reaction
17.
The completion of withdrawal of our forces from Malaysia and Singapore will be apparent to the population of Hong Kong. Their morale will be particularly sensitive to the knowledge
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