TNAG-0476-FCO40-541-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 224

(17365) Dd.145178 400m 5/73 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

:

CONFIDENTIAL

FAR EAST DEFENCE COMMITMENTS

1. The Defence Secretary [has said] in Parliament that, in

the course of the Defence Review, "there will be full consultation

with our allies in all cases where their interests are involved".

This applies particularly to the commitments the previous British Government made to our four Commonwealth partners in the Five Power Defence Arrangements in April 1971, and the similar commitment of

November 1971 to Brunei.

Five Power Defence Arrangements

2.

Under the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) the UK, New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia and Singapore agreed in April 1971

that:

Brunei

1

"In the event of any form of armed attack externally organised or supported or the threat of such attack against Malaysia or Singapore their governments would immediately consult

together for the purpose of deciding what measures should be

taken jointly or separately in relation to such attack or

threat."

13. The commitment to Brunei embodied in the Agreement of 1971 amending the 1959 Agreement with Brunei, is for practical purposes

the same as that under the FPDA.

Colonial Territories

14.

There are also unavoidable obligations to provide for the good order and defence of Hong Kong and other British dependencies in the Far East which any British Government must fulfil. For the purposes of this paper it is assumed that these responsibilities to Colonial dependencies will continue and that appropriate British forces will be kept (at least partly) in the area, to fulfil them. Staging facilities at Gan and Singapore are necessary in order

to maintain forces in Hong Kong.

CONFIDENTIAL

i