SECRET
Role of Garrison
Strength and Composition of Garrison
22.
DEFENCE AND INTERNAL SECURITY
Hong Kong could not be defended against a determined
Chinese attack except perhaps by the use of nuclear weapons.
There are no plans for the reinforcement of Hong Kong against
external attack and the external role of the Garrison is to
"identify 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 maintain our position in the Colony. The principal role of
the garrison is therefore to assist in maintaining internal
security and local confidence; if either were to slip, the
Chinese Government would be quick to exploit the situation
and our position would rapidly become untenable.
23. Hong Kong became an independent military command in April,
1970. The present Garrison in the Colony consists of 63
major Army units, three coastal minesweepers and an RAF element.
Until early in 1970 Fighter air cover was provided from
Singapore; but this arrangement could not be continued after
the withdrawal of an RAF Hunter squadron from Singapore in
March, 1970. Fighter cover on a reduced scale is now
provided by visits to the Colony by RAF detachments of aircraft
on training flights to the Far East.
SECRET
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