TNAG-0543-FCO40-638-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 113

SEORET UK EYES A

overall measures so far-ranging as to seriously disturb our major Allies. You

will therefore understand with how rigorous an eye we had to view our military

commitments outside the NATO Alliance.

7.

While our main defence interests are not served by a military presence East of

Suez, there was little scope for reductions, other than those we are making in

Mauritius, Gan and Singapore. Among our dependant territories we recognised that

we must continue to maintain forces in Hong Kong and this is now by far the

largest British commitment outside NATO even though this had to be at the

expense of what we could allocate to NATO.

8. Having described the background I now turn to an explanation of HMG's approach

to the future military presence in Hong Kong. I wish to assure you that the

basis of our thinking is HMG's long-standing political commitment to the integrity

of the colony and the security and well being of its inhabitants. There is no

lessening of this commitment and HMG is conscious that a garrison adequate

in military terms is an important manifestation of it. But, as I have already

said, we are facing a serious economic crisis and it can no longer be light that

the UK should continue to bear so much of the burden of providing for your security.

We are therefore proposing two steps. The first is to limit the size of the

garrison to no more than is absolutely necessary. We have therefore undertaken

careful and prolonged study of the minimum garrison that would be adequate. The

garrison, at the time we came into office comprised 5 infantry battalions, an

artillery regiment, an armoured reconnaissance squadron, engineers, a frigate and

patrol craft, and a helicopter squadron. At September 74 prices it cost about

£50M, $600,000,000 HK dollars. Careful study showed that some reduction from this

level of forces would be militarily justifiable, and as a first step a number

of withdrawals were agreed and announced in March. The important elements were

the removal of the artillery regiment, less a battery, the armoured reconnaissance

squadron, and a reduction in the Naval presence. The remaining garrison cost

SEORETLUK EYES A