TNAG-0540-FCO40-635-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 211

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TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO 183 OF 7 MARCH.

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM MALE.

GURKHAS.

Than PA

1. AS YOU WILL KNOW, WE ARE CURRENTLY HAVING TALKS IN LONDON WITH THE SULTAN OF BRUNEI ABOUT THE TIMING OF THE PROPOSED WITHDRAWAL OF THE GURKHA BATTALION FROM BRUNEI, WHICH WAS ANNOUNCED IN THE DEFENCE REVIEW. WE ORIGINALLY INDICATED THAT THE PREFERRED PERIOD FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE BATTALION (AND, TRANSFER TO HONG KONG) WAS END 1976/END MARCH 1977, DUT SUBSEQUENTLY UNDERTOOK, WITHOUT COMMITMENT, TO SEE IF WITHDRAWAL COULD BE DELAYED UNTIL MID-1978. THE SULTAN HAS NOT ACCEPTED EVEN THIS, SINCE HE WOULD LIKE A MUCH LATER DATE. 2. POSTPONEMENT OF WITHDRAWAL OF THE FATTALION FROM BRUNEI MIGHT HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR HONG KONG. DUT WE HAVE GIVEN NO THOUGHT TO THESE POSSIBILITIES AS YET, AS WE ARE CONCENTRATING ON THE BRUNEI ANGLES. I THOUGHT YOU CULD WISH TO LE AWARE OF WHAT GOES ON, SINCE MOD ARE INFOR ING CDS, WHO HAS ASKED TO DE KEPT UP TO DATE, WHILE HE IS IN HONG KOG, ON THE TALKS WITH THE SULTAN. I WOULD NOT OTHERWISE HAVE BOTHERED YOU, GIVEN THE MANY PONDERABLES KICH REMAI AT THIS STAGE. NONE OF THIS NEED, OR SHOULD, AFFECT THE CURRENT TALKS IN HONG KONG.

CALLAGHAN

NWMN

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