TNAG-0540-FCO40-635-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 267

i

SECRET

Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1

JD Bryars Esq AUS(GS)

Ministry of Defence Main Building

Whitehall

76

Telephone 01-

(83)

ڈکٹ

подре

3 weeks

BD

313

Your reference

Our reference

Date 26 February 1975

Dear Dismant

Nuke:

Mr Inokom Chefen 3) is today astring

Mot to link

in further,

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CV

in formed.

this direct mot cap a ith br!,

Following his rinit to th

he thinker everything will work out all right, CLOSURE OF 117 SIGNALS UNIT HONG KONG Rf operating for about obter yes,

76

1.

260

Cable & Wireless taking

cher thereafter, The PS to the CAS included the following additional briefing on 117 Signals Unit in his signal of 18 February, Wellington, addressed to the PSO to CAS:

PA

7

25/2

"However CMM CRAF Hong Kong recently signalled to say that the Hong Kong Government may be seeking ways of retaining the search radar element of the Signals Unit. The FCO have also received strong representations from the Hong Kong Secretary for Security.'

#1

Suggested staff line for CAS to take on this subject if it arises is as follows:

2.

"We stated in our reply dated 12 February 1975 that the RAF will not be able to continue to operate the search radar. If Hong Kong require RAF assistance rather than commercial assistance in this operation, this would need consideration independently of the Defence Review. availability of spares and the part played by the Americans in any continued operation would also need careful study.

The

The assertion that this is separate from the Defence Review cuts across the Hong Kong Secretary for Security's preliminary view, reported in para. 3(i) of Dinwiddy's letter of 11 February to Dawson, that 117 Signals Unit is a part of the Defence Review package and that Hong Kong were glad to note the comment to this effect in Dawson's letter of 20 December.

3.

The important point, however, is that there should be no further move towards closure of the Unit until there have been further consultations with the Hong Kong Government. I suggest that this matter could appropriately be raised in Hong Kong next week (perhaps outside the main meetings) by the MOD representative to the defence costs Working Party. I appreciate that it may not be possible by the end

SECRET

/of this week