TNAG-0308-FCO40-344-Contributions-of-Hong-Kong-for-costs-of-maintaining-military-1971 — Page 78

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FM HONG KONG C1953CZ

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TO ROUTINE F.C.0. TELEGRAM NUMBER 226 OF 1 APRIL.

MY TELEGRAM NO. 225 TO YOU.

IEFENCE CONTRIBUTION.

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SINCE DRAFTING MY TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO

HAVE A CONFIDENTIAL TALK WITH SIR ALBERT RODRIGUES ON THE ATTITUDES

CF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS. HE WAS SPEAKING PERSONALLY, AND NOT AS

A REPRESENTATIVE OF THEM.

2.

APPARENTLY THE FURTHER COMMUNICATION, REFERRED TO IN PARA. 2

CF MY TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE, WILL BE DIRECTED TOWARDS POINTS

IN THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS' FIRST MEMORANDUM WHICH THEY FEEL HAVE

NOT BEEN ADEQUATELY ANSWERED. IN PARTICULAR, THEY APPEAR TO BE

SETTING GREAT STORE ON ACHIEVING AGREEMENT THAT ANY FIGURE THEY

SUGGEST BE WHOLLY UNRELATED (IN SO FAR AS FORMALLY AGREED BETWEEN

HONG KONG AND HMG) TO ANY CALCULATIONS OR FIGURES OF ANY KIND,

AND HAVE THE FORMAL STATUS MERELY OF A CONTRIBUTION OF SUCH

MAGNITUDE AS MAY BE AGREED WITHOUT EXPLANATION OF HOW ITS SIZE

WAS ARRIVED AT (ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS TO BE ACCEPTED THAT EACH SIDE

MUST HAVE ITS OWN PRIVATE REASONS FOR AGREEING THE FIGURE). FURTHERMORE, ONCE ARRIVED AT, THEY APPEAR TO FEEL STRONGLY THAT IT MUST REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR THE WHOLE PERIOD OF THE AGREEMENT, EXCEPT PERHAPS IN DRASTICALLY ALTERED CIRCUMSTANCES AND INDEED

THE REASON WHY THEY ARE STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF A CONTRIBUTION BASED ON NO FIGURES OR PRINCIPLES IS THAT THEY DO NOT, WANT THESE

FIGURES CR PRINCIPLES TO BE QUCTED IN SUPPORT OF AN ARGUMENT FOR

AN INCREASED CONTRIBUTION DURING THE CURRENCY OF THE AGREEMENT.

3.

I GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT IF THIS POINT 1.E. THAT THE

CONTRIBUTION WAS A MERE CONTRIBUTION THAT HAD NO AGREED BASIS SUPPORTING IT COULD BE CONCEDED, A NUMBER OF MEMBERS WOULD AGREE TO A VERY CONSIDERABLY INCREASED AMOUNT, ALTHOUGH NOT ONE AS HIGH

AS POUNDS 8.5 MILLION.

14. HOWEVER, THIS

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