TNAG-0311-FCO40-347-Contributions-of-Hong-Kong-for-costs-of-maintaining-military-1971 — Page 36

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HKK.10/9.

SECRET

Mr Walford Sir L Montón Mr Logan

Mr Grabam

Approve?

A.R.

182

181

175

But see

para 5 mittulid

HONG KONG DEFENCE CONTRIBUTION

1. Please see Mr Graham's note on the attached minute from

the Prime Minister's office in reply to the Secretary of State's

minute of 19 October to the Prime Minister.

2. Our information is that Sir David Trench, who left Hong Kong

on 19 October on leave prior to retirement, plans to return from

Honolulu to Hong Kong in a private capacity on 5 November (since

Lady Trench, who is still in the Colony, has to undergo surgical

treatment there on 8 November) remaining there until 17 November.

It would therefore be possible to address a letter to Sir David

to reach him in Hong Kong between 5 and 17 November.

3.

However, now that there is an Acting Governor in Hong Kong

it would not be appropriate for any message on the subject of

the defence contribution to be sent direct to Sir David in

Hong Kong: it would need to be addressed to the Acting Governor

in the first place. On this assumption a draft letter to Sir Hugh Norman-Walker is attached for consideration.

4.

I am however somewhat doubtful whether the message should

be passed to Hong Kong at all. Our impression in the department

is that the negotiations over the defence contribution were,

a very large extent, handled personally by Sir David at the

Hong Kong end and there would be little point in passing on the

SECRET

/message