M
An Examination or the Hong Kong Guardship
Commitment
Introduction
58/3
The requirement for a frigate as guardship in Hong Kong will impose considerable constraints in the programming of the ships which it is proposed to deploy East of Suez post 1971. Unlike the Beira requirement, which can be met partly by ships deploying to and from UK, the Hong Kong guardship is expensive in passage time and in general the duty cannot be combined with any other operational requirement.
Aim
2.
To examine the requirement for the Hong Kong guardship post 1971 and how it should be met in the context of commitments East of Suez.
The Threat to Hong Kong
3. The last JIC assessment (1) of the threat to Hong Kong indicated that in the event of a decision to take over Hong Kong, China is likely to use methods other than direct aggression, such as a co-ordinated and systematic campaign of tension. No sign that such a course would be pursued existed at that time but the risk of such action would continue. Some warning which the DIS consider can be measured in weeks, of such a systematic campaign is likely. The DIS also consider that this assessment remains substantially the same today; the only new development since 1968 is an increase in the strength of the Chinese South Sea Fleet, including three submarines, and a greater risk of incidents involving British merchant vessels' visiting Chinese ports.
Existing Arrangements for the Guardship
Role of the Guardship
The existing provision for the guardship is for one frigate to be reinforced by another at four days notice from the Far East Fleet in times of tension. In 1968 H.M.G. decided (2), however, that since it would be impossible to meet the reinforcement requirement after the withdrawal of the Far East Fleet, a second frigate would be based in Hong Kong post 71. The role of these ships was to provide the LCMV's with added support for maritime patrols and to act as a deterrent to Chinese naval interference and local piracy. addition, one of these ships would continue to be declared to the U.N. Command Korea. In the light of H.M.G's new policy for S.E. Asia it is our intention to meet the existing provision of the Hong Kong guardship from our numbers East of Suez (3).
JIC(68)15(Final) OPD(68) 32 COS 67/70
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