TNAG-0479-FCO40-544-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 188

From:

Mr. A.P. Hockaday, CMG,SECRET

Deputy Under-Secretary of State (Policy and Programmes)

DUS(P)366/74

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

MAIN BUILDING, WHITEHALL, LONDON, S.W.!

لسنا

Telephone:

01 - 218

2135 (Direct Dialling)

01-218 9000 (Switchboard)

11th October. 1974

14/10

Foreign and Commonwealth Office,

Sir Duncan Watson, KCMG,

London, SW1.

Dear Dunca

RECEIVED

REGISTRY No.52

15 OCT 1974

11+kk 10/9

DEFENCE REVIEW

HONG KONG

(133)

See new tel to NK

P/A AR 14/10

You will wish to know the outcome of recent discussio with CBFHK about the future level of our forces in Hong Kong."

He

2. As you know, the Governor suggested in his telegram No.973 of 27th September that, in view of HMG's decision that the Hong Kong Government should be asked to contribute 75% of the costs of the garrison, he would prefer to recommend a presence along the lines of Option 'C' in CBFHK's original paper. also suggested that if we could make further economies and reduce the total costs to about £30m. we would be approaching something that he could propose to the Executive Council as a viable political and budgetary proposition.

3. Taking this as a starting point the problem has been considered in depth and it is now agreed that the best way of meeting these criteria would be a reduction to 53 major units. This was just acceptable even though it might take three weeks before a battalion from the UK could be complete in Hong Kong as a reinforcement in an emergency. As I mentioned in my letter of 24th September, this should, however, be the worst case. I must also emphasise that we consider that a garrison of 5 major units is the absolute minimum necessary to maintain a credible presence and that it would not make sense in military terms to reduce the garrison below that level.

4.

I attach a breakdown of the costs and composition of such a garrison, which you will note includes 4 Gurkha Infantry Battalions. The cost at about £31m. is still above the Governor's figure of £30m. but well below our initial suggestion of a garrison costing £38m. But the only certain way it can be reduced further while maintaining a credible presence is, instead of withdrawing two patrol craft, to withdraw the frigate with a further saving of some £2.4m, reducing the total cost to under £29m.

5. To sum up, I think that we are able to move some considerable way towards meeting the Governor's position and that he should now

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SECRET