TNAG-0847-FCO40-1057-Visits-of-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-th-1979 — Page 101

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be severe, not only because of the actual cost of withdrawing the

units required from other commitments, but also because of the

general upheaval that would be caused within the Services.

Details of the present garrison, of the reinforcements now

requested and of the penalties that would be involved in providing

them are at Annex A.

2. HMG have a clear obligation to provide reinforcements for Hong

Kong when the situation requires: this was explicitly stated in

the 1975 agreement between the Hong Kong and British Governments

under which the garrison in Hong Kong was reduced to its present

strength.

3.

Ministers will need to decide whether the Hong Kong requirement

is of sufficient priority to justify providing the necessary

resources. The Defence Secretary will be discussing the request

for reinforcements with the Governor shortly before the latter's

call on the Prime Minister.

4.

1.

CHINESE/HONG KONG RELATIONS

The present Chinese Government do not recognise the 19th century

treaties under which Hong Kong came under British rule. They

regard Hong Kong as Chinese territory temporarily under British

administration. They have however repeatedly stated that the

question of the territory's reversion to China is something to be

settled through negotiations "when the time is ripe". They have

given no firm indication when they think that time will be.

2. In the meantime they have made it clear that Hong Kong has a key role to play in their modernisation programme. The territory

provides about a third of China's foreign exchange earnings and is

CONFIDENTIAL

/an