Issued from
COPY OR DP 4/393/1
DP 4/393/1
SECRET
Hong Kong Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office London S.W.1
6 November, 1969
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to 144
Will you please refer to the Governor's letter to me No.TSX 1/57 of 15 September about the provision of fighter aircraft cover for Hong Kong.
We have put to the Ministry of Defence the four queries raised by the Governor and we still await their reply on the first three of these. On the fourth matter (the question of the fighter cover to be provided between March 1970, when the Hunters leave Singapore, and the beginning of the post-1971 arrangements) the Air Force Department have prepared a note, a copy of which I enclose, setting out certain proposals. These proposals are intended as a basis for detailed planning and they will require further and closer examination by the Ministry of Defence in conjunction with the Commander-in-Chief, Far East. Meanwhile, we have been asked to seek your views on them and you will note that the Ministry of Defence are at the same time referring them to the Commander British Forces, Hong Kong.
It
You will see that so far as 1970 is concerned, the proposals envisage that visits by combat aircraft based on the United Kingdom could probably be arranged on a reasonable scale; but that opportunities for such visits during 1971 will be less frequent. appears that during the latter year it should be possible to arrange at least one detachment of Vulcans; that Vulcan and Canberra Ranger aircraft could be routed through Kai Tak at an annual rate of up to three visits by each type of aircraft during both 1970 and 1971; and that Far Eastern Air Force Shackletons could continue to visit Hong Kong until their final withdrawal in September 1971. There is also the possibility of deploying an aircraft carrier for occasional visits to Hong Kong during the latter half of 1971.
This will be one of the matters which we shall be discussing with the Governor later this month and if there are any points arising out of the note which you feel we should take into account in the course of our discussions on this subject, I should be grateful if you would let us know by telegram. We expect to begin our talks with the Governor on 24 November.
I apologise for the short notice which has, I am afraid, been unavoidable.
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(W. S. Carter)
His Excellency
Sir Hugh Norman-Walker, KCMG., OBE.
SECRET
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