NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
HONG KONG
SECRET
1. Hong Kong is a British territory and Her
Majesty's Government's responsibility for the good
ik
order of government of the territory cannot be
abdicated. Full withdrawal is thus not possible
short of a decision to return the colony to China.
The present garrison is not designed to repel
2.
a determined Chinese attack, against which the colony
is indefensible.
Its function is to provide, in
support of the police, a guarantee of internal
security in Hong Kong and to secure the borders
against local provocation or trouble from the Chinese
to
side.
Its present size was fixed in relation
these tasks and any reduction could therefore be
made only as a consequence of acceptance by the
Governor, in consultation with the Commander British
Forces, that the garrison was now larger than the
degree of risk warranted, or of a decision by HMG
to run a higher degree of risk, in the event of
trouble, than they have hitherto considered
acceptable.
3.
The three Gurkha battalions comprise nearly
half the garrison. A decision to disband the brigade
of Gurkhas would thus immediately pose the question
of whether the remaining garrison of British forc:8
would be sufficient, or whether
(a)
(b)
additional forces should be deployed, cr
a reinforcement capability from the UK should
be maintained.
SECRET
140
(17259) Dd.897459 250m 12/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863 16941) Dd.897300 250m 9/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863
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