security measures by the end of the period covered by
the agreement" it might be necessary to reconsider the
size of the garrison.
3. I think it is worth recalling also that our
objective in proceeding as we have on this occasion,
with the Governor giving us informally the best
figure which he thinks he might be able to convince his
advisers to accept, was to prevent a repetition of the
events of 1966. It is worth remembering that after
visiting Hong Kong in 1966, for the express purpose of
negotiating the present contribution, the then
Secretary of State for the Colonies went on record as
saying that "there was a very real possibility at one
stage that unofficial members would feel obliged to
tender their resignations. But fortunately and unde:
the strong leadership of the Governor the majority of
the unofficials accepted the need for an increase and
evolved the offer to contribute £5 million a year for
a period of four years."
4. As a result of a continuing clash of interests
between HMG and the Hong Kong Government, mainly
in the economic and commercial spheres, our relations
with the Colony are if anything worse today than they
were in 1966. The Governor will have at least as
difficult a task now in persuading his unofficial
advisers to accept the figure of £8 million as the
Hong Kong contribution as did the Secretary of State for the Colonies
when negotiating the present contribution of £5 million
in 1966.
Although Hong Kong is a dependent
territory and although the Foreign and Commonwealth
Secretary has, on paper, complete authority over all
/ aspects
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