PRIORITY
7
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CYPHER CAT/A
GPS 400
FM HONG KONG 1804102
SECRET
| lakklo:1
329
TO PRIORITY F C O TELEGRAM NO 1633 OF 18 OCTOBER.
315
PLEASE PASS FOLLOWING TO MR RODGERS, M O D FROM GOVERNOR,
YOUR OPENING EXPLANATION OF H M G'S POSITION WILL CLEARLY BE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE FOR ITS IMPACT ON UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, `IT WILL BE MADE IN CONFIDENCE AND YOU CAN REST ASSURED WILL NOT BE LEAKED BY MEMBERS. THEIR MAIN CONCERN WILL BE BUDGETARY AND THEREFORE WITH FIGURES, BUT PRESENTATION COULD ALSO AFFECT ATTITUDES. WITH A VIEW TO THIS OFFER THE FOLLOWING
SUGGESTIONS:
4) START BY REAFFIRMATION OF H M G'S COMMITMENT TO AND
INTEREST IN HONG KONG,
(B) RECAPITULATE THE WAY IN WHICH THE PRESENT AGREEMENT HAS
RESULTED IN HONG KONG PAYING A PROGRESSIVELY SMALLER SHARE. (C) MOVE ON TO STRESS THE ANACHRONISM OF A COMMUNITY AS LARGE
AND AS ECONOMICALLY DEVELOPED AS HONG KONG NOT HAVING TO
PAY 100% OF ITS DEFENCE COSTS, WHEREAS ITS ECONOMIC
SITUATION IS COMPARABLE WITH THAT OF AN INDEPENDENT STATE
WHICH WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS OWN DEFENCE, HM G RECOGNISES THAT HONG KONG IS A SPECIAL CASE, AND THAT FOR POLITICAL REASONS VIS-A-VIS CHINA AND FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF CONFIDENCE IN THE COLONY A UK CONTRIBUTION TO THE GARRISON IN MONEY AND MEN IS NECESSARY. HOWEVER THE TIME HAS COME FOR THIS TO BE THE MINIMUM COMPATIBLE WITH THESE POLITICAL OBJECTIVES AND H M G HAS DECIDED THAT THIS IS 25%.
(D) THEN SAY THAT WHILE H M G IS SATISFIED THAT THIS STEP IS
RIGHT ON ITS MERITS, HER OWN FINANCIAL POSITION COMPELS HER TO MAKE A RAPID AND VERY SUBSTANTIAL MOVE TO CORRECT THE ANOMALY. (NB. PLEASE NOTE THE ORDER OF PRESENTATION. I THINK THAT IN PREVIOUS NEGOTIATIONS MY PREDECESSORS WOULD HAVE ADVISED YOU TO MAKE YOUR MAIN POINT A PLEA FOR HONG KONG'S
UNDERSTANDING FOR THE UK'S FINANCIAL PREDICAMENT. I WOULD NOT ADVISE THIS IN PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES BECAUSE IT WOULD LEAD TO A WRANGLE ABOUT WHOSE SITUATION WAS WORSE AND WHY. IT FOLLOWS
THAT! STRONGLY URGE YOU TO MAKE THE REFERENCE WHICH I RECOGNIZE IS UNAVOIDALE - BRIEFLY AND OBLIQUELY AS SUGGESTED
ABOVE.
/(E) SUPPORT
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