TNAG-0544-FCO40-639-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 172

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FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF AGREED JOINT STATEMENT ON HONG KONG DEFENCE COSTS PD DPO PLEASE NOTE FIRST PUBLIC RELEASE

OF NEW GARRISION SIZE PD TEXT OF MINISTERS STATEMENT PLUS FOLLOWS FD JOINT STATEMENT TO BE RELEASED 0738Z COLON MINISTERS AT 0830Z PD QUOTE Q AND A BRIEF IN FOLLOWING SIGNAL

DURING THE PAST WEEK CHM NEGOTIATIONS HAVE TAKEN PLACE BETWEEN DELEGATIONS OF HER MAJESTYS GOVERNMENT HEADED BY THE RT. HON. WILLIAM RODGERS CMM M.P. CIH MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE CHI AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HEADED BY THE GOVERNOR CMH SIR HURDAY MACLEHOSE PD THESE NEGOTIATIONS FOLLOWED EXCHANGES WHICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE DURING THE LAST YEAR ON A SUCCESSOR AGREEMENT TO THE PRESENT DEFENCE COSTS AGREEMENT WHICH EXPIRES-ON 31 MARCH CHM 1976 pr THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE BASED ON THE CLEAR ACCEPTANCE BY BOTH SIDES OF

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THE NEED FOR A GARRISON CAPABLE OF HAINTAINING THE SECURITY AND INTEGRITY OF HONG KONG AND DEMONSTRATING HAGS CONTINUING RESPONSIB- ILITY FOR THE COLONY PD SUCH A GARRSION IS ALSO REGARDED BY BOTH GOVERNMENTS AS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN MAINTAINING CONFIDENCE PD AS A RESULT OF THESE NEGOTIATIONS AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED ON THE SIZE AND TOTAL COST OF THE GARRISON PD THE FUTURE GARRISON WILL DE REDUCED FROM ITS PRESENT LEVEL OF 5 2/3 UNITS TO INCLUDE ONLY FOUR INFANTRY BATTALIONS (ONE OF THEM BRITISH) CHM A GURKHA ENGINEER FIELD SQUADRON GIN FIVE ROYAL NAVY CRAFT AND A SQUADRON OF EIGHT ROYAL AIR FORCE WESSEX HELICOPETERS PO THE TOTAL COST AT CURRENT PRICES IS ESTINEATED AT HK DOLLARS 450M POUNDS FORTY TWO AND A HALF MILLION ) A YEAR CMM COMPARED WITH THE COST OF THE PRESENT GARRISION OF HEARLY HONG KONG DOLLARS SEVEN MILLION (POUNDS SIX FIVE MILLION). HONG KONG WILL HAVE TO BEAR A SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER PROPORTION OF THE TOTAL COST OF THE GARRISON THAN IN THE PAST: BUT THE SIZE OF THE CONTRIBUTION WILL HAVE REALISTIC REGARD TO HONG KONGS ABILITY TO PAY. DURING THE COURSE OF THIS WEEKS NEGOTIATIONS THE BASIS FOR SHARING THE COSTS WAS THE MAJOR POINT UNDER DISCUSSION PD OTHER POINTS INCLUDED THE RELEASE OF FURTHER LAND AT PRESENT OCCUPIED BY THE

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