TNAG-0536-FCO40-631-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 135

CONFLEEFTIAL

BACKGROUND NOTE

PQ 1775B

Force Levels

1.

At present the Hong Kong garrison consists of:

RN

1 frigate

5 patrol craft

Army 2 UK Infantry Battalions

3 Gurkha Infantry battalions

1 Artillery Regiment

1 Armoured Reconnaissance Squadron

1 Gurkha Field Squadron (Engineers)

RAF 8 Wessex helicopters

The Defence Review proposal is that the garrison should be reduced

by one major unit, 2 patrol craft and certain support facilities.

Role of the British Forces

"

2. As Hong Kong is a Colony HHG is responsible for its extermel

defence and internal security The garrison is maintained in

support of our commitments, though its internal security role is

the most important. The cost of maintaining internal security is

normally expected to be borne by a Colonial Government which is

also expected to contribute towards external defence costs if it

could afford to do so.

3.

The security of Hong Kong can be threatened with or without

support from Peking and in a recent assessment CBFHK stated that

the threat right take the form of any or any combination of:

Meting und urban terrorisn. Internal unrest can

Re

arise, as in the past, from circumstances largely unrelated

to the lavent Chinese threat, eg dissatisfaction over

economic conditions, food shortage, political agitation etc.

The potentiel 10 situation which the security forces would

now have to cope with is, if anything more difficult they

CONFIDENTIAL

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