TNAG-0308-FCO40-344-Contributions-of-Hong-Kong-for-costs-of-maintaining-military-1971 — Page 17

Treasury Chambers

Great George Street, London S.W.1 Telephone: 01-930 1234, ext. 555

SECRET

Our reference:

Your reference:

2DM 415/01

A W Gaminara Esq

Hong Kong Department

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Room 247

King Charles Street

London SW 1

Dear Sammora

HONG KONG DEFENCE CONTRIBUTION:

N

REF.

65

REF.

I am replying to your letter of 29 April.

5 May 1971

REC VED IN

REGISTRY No. 51

12. 1971

NICCIO/9

2 Like Thorp (his letter of 4 May) we are content with the drafts of the Secretary of State's message and of the "Annex" But also like him we are not altogether happy with the covering telegram.

•

3 On looking at the papers again I do feel that I much prefer the draft proposed by Thorp with his letter of 23 April. We would favour a telegram which was comprised of paragraphs 1 and 2 of your draft; paragraph 3 being the first sentence only of the redraft in Thorp's letter of 4 May; the next paragraph to start - "While I would not completely rule out the idea of extending the period of agreement" and then to continue with the whole of Thorp's earlier text subject to the amendment that I proposed in paragraph 5 of my letter of

26 April;

4

and finally ending with paragraph 7 of your draft.

Your letter does not explain why some parts of Thorp's draft have not been included. It seems to me that there are very useful points here to be put across to the Governor which have either been over-compressed (and thereby possibly become ambiguous) in your version or are omitted completely. I should be grateful if you could reconsider this.

5 Given our basic approach above, I do not really want to comment on But I will your draft or on the proposals in Thorp's letter of 4 May. make two points:-

6

(a) I would not even give the tiny hint of flexibility which might be adduced from the second line of Thorp's redraft of paragraph 3. (b) The second sentence of your paragraph 4 could give the impression that 7 x £8.5m would be sufficient, whilst our position is that it is not.

I am copying this letter to Thorp, F1 Air and Smith, DOE.

Jam

SECRET

Truck

T J BRACK

PS Since dictating this, you had a word on the telephone with me.

I