TNAG-0179-FCO40-215-Strength-of-Hong-Kong-Garrison-1970 — Page 221

SECRET

201ques

Note No. 6

(...

VISIT OF MINISTER OF STATE

LORD SHEPHERD

TO HONG KONG. MAY/JUNE 1969

Matters

Defence and Internal Security

The Minister may wish to raise the matter of helicopters with the Governor (paragraphs la.. below) and mention the

hale..

doubts of the Chiefs of Staff about the operational need for

the additional machines.

could at the same time secure the Governor's confirmation that

he does in fact support the proposed increase in the strength

of the Whirlwinds despite the additional cost involved

factor which will inevitably need to be taken into account

when the time comes to negotiate a new Defence Contribution

Kareement with Hong Kong.

It would be helpful if the Minister

2.

a

t

during

The Governor has asked for discussion's

The Amester's visit

the question of repositioning

There is

fighter acrcraft

our withdrawal from Singapore / Malaysia. Separate

in Hong Kong

as

a

result of

briefnią

in ateral

on

This subject,

UJII UKRA

Government have been given an assurance that it is our intention

to resist aggression. Local opinion, while probably under no

illusion about the ability of the present garrison to resist

for long, regards the existence of British troops deployed to

PRO DOCUMENT gard PUT PLACES an assurance of our intention to defend the Color24 NOV 2009robably assumed locally that in any general

SECTION 5(1) OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED UNDER THIS IS A COPY

ACT 1958 UNTIL

2010

SECRET