TNAG-0478-FCO40-543-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 30

SECRET

DEPENDENT TERRITORIES

Finally among Non-NATO Commitments we have had to consider

our responsibilities towards those remaining dependent

territories where we station forces.

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Hong Kong

By far the largest of those, with by far the largest

forces, is Hong Kong. We maintain nearly 10,000 troops there,

One including Gurkhas, for two main reasons.

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to deter agresion from China, though we recognise that we

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sparity

and wore important could not defeat if it occurred. The second is to help

the civil authority in dealing with internal subversio means by which China is perhaps more likely to exerise ite

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Large investments by Britain and other countries in

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Hong Kong would be at stake, and we have concluded that we

must maintain a garrison (there and a small naval force

At the same

though we shall seek economies where we can to bring the

cost down from its present level of £38m. time we shall press the Hong Kong Government to contribute more to the cost than the Em which they provide at present.

As a further economy we shall give up the capability to

reinforce the Hong Kong garrison rapidly. [It

It is the

relinquishment of this capability, coupled with our with- drawal from Singapore, which will make the airfields in our logistic supply route Masirah and Gan, redundant.

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