TNAG-0544-FCO40-639-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 114

design stages of reprovision would take time but confirmed that they would complete the necessary accommodation very fast once construction started.

13. On the length of the new agreement, the Minister of State said that in his view there was no chance of the UK Government

accepting a 10 year term. He would be prepared to seek authority for a 7 year agreement but would prefer to agree a form of words that left this option open for the time being. The Governor agreed that the length of the agreement had not been much discussed but added that a 5 year agreement would cause him great difficulties.

This

14. The Minister of State said that if no agreement could be reached before his departure he could not consider himself bound to any particular proposition. Negotiations would come to a standstill and he would have to seek new authority.

would allow those in the UK favouring a hard line to reopen the whole package. In these circumstances it would be necessary to issue either a joint statement explaining why no agreement had been reached or two separate statements reporting the positions adopted by the two sides and saying that each had been prepared to make some concessions.

15. The Governor agreed there was a risk of the package being reopened if no agreement was reached. But he was prepared to reach an agreement in principle provided this remained confidential. His concern was to gain acceptance for a settlement in Hong Kong by preparing the ground over a period of time. He doubted whether the presentational issues which Mr Rodgers faced were as severe as his and suggested that the announcement to be made should say that the two sides were coming together but were not yet in a position to make a formal statement. He felt that this line should be defensible in the

House of Commons if it was made clear that negotiations were

still in progress and that a premature announcement might prejudice their outcome.

SECRET

/CBF

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