TNAG-0179-FCO40-215-Strength-of-Hong-Kong-Garrison-1970 — Page 223

20cques

SECRET

Note No. 6

VISIT OF MINISTER OF STATE

LORD SHEPHERD)

TO HONG KONG, MAY/JUNE 1969

Maiters

Defence and Internal Security

aulo..

The Minister may wish to raise the matter of helicopters

with the Governor (paragraphs .. below) and mention the

doubts of the Chiefs of Staff about the operational need for

the additional machines. It would be helpful if the Minister

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

Agreement with Hong Kong.

2.

Γ

! Take

slyp 7

Background

a

General

Hong Kong could not be defended against a determined

ninese attack except perhaps by the use of nuclear weapons.

ere are no plans for the reinforcement of Hong Kong against

external aggression and the external role of the garrison is

to offer such resistance as may be appropriate in the circum-

stances at the time. Although there is no agreement with the

United States about coming to the defence of Hong Kong, the US

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

guard the frontier as an assurance of our intention to defend

the Colony: it is probably assumed locally that in any general

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SECRET