TNAG-0479-FCO40-544-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 93

GRS 96

MMEDIATE

CONFIDENTIAL

CYPHER CAT/A

FM HONG KONG 060655Z

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DESKBY 060900Z

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No.52

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- 6 NOV 1974

REF.

127)

Hick 199

74

TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 1106 OF 6 NOVEMBER/INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING.

YOUR TELEGRAM NO 661 TO PEKING: PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION ON HONG KONG.

SINCE THE PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION DOES NOT REFER TO

''ABANDONING'' HONG KONG I WOULD MUCH PREFER TO AVOID ANY USE OF THE PHRASE WHICH COULD JUST BE MISINTERPRETED HERE, SUGGESTED FIRST SUPPLEMENTARY IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE SEEMS A BETTER FIRST SENTENCE FOR THE SUBSTANTIVE REPLY, WITH THE ADDITION OF THE WORDS ''OR MODIFYING'' AFTER ''ABANDONING''.

MACLEHOSE

SIR G ARTHUR

FILES

HKIOD

FED

MR THOMSON

DEFENCE D

MR WILFORD

PS

MR MALE

COPIES TO:

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE

6 GRAFTON ST WIX 3LB

MR H BLANKS DS 11

PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS

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