TNAG-0904-FCO40-1114-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 50

MA/CGS

CONFIDENTIAL

A!

AUS GS 92/79

~/DE/46/66/1)

Copies to: DUS(Army)

DUS(P)

VCDS (P&L)

ACDS(Pol

ACDS(Ops)

DMO

DASD

AUS(D Staff)

AUS(GF

AUS(NS

AUS (AS SECCOS

Head of D36

HONG KONG FORCE LEVELS

You will now have seen Hong Kong Tels No. 351 to 353 of 10 March in which the Governor asks for additions to Hong Kong force levels to cope with illegal Vietnames, and legal and illegal Chinese immigration, thus formalising the proposals which were discussed during your recent visit to the Colony. The present force levels are set out in the Lefence Costs Agreement (DCA), and our commitment to reinforce Hong Kong is covered by Joint Theatre Plan No. 30. The stated aim of the Plan is:

"to reinforce the garrison in Hong.ong to meet

simultaneous threats of disturbances and border tension.

The scale of the Army reinforcement is two infantry battalions; one from Brunei and one from U... The presumption underlying the JTP, however, is that reinforcement would be undertaken against a deteriorating internal security (IS) situation.

2. While there has been no preceuent, during the life of the Defence Costs Agreement (DCA) so far, for a temporary increment to the garrison, such a possibility was not entirely discounted when the Agreement was negotiated in 1975. Paragrah 12 of the DCA states that:

ingdom

"The Hong Kong Government or the United

Government may at any time request information on, or an examination of, the cost, complement or composition of the garrison and any such request will not be unreasonably refused....Adjustments to the cost of the garrison resulting from any examination under this paragraph will be apportioned between the two Governments in the same ratio us their contributions under this Agreement".

Although the interpretation of this paragraph has not yet been put to the test, I am in no doubt that it proviues us with a firm case for asking the Hong Kong Gover..ment to meet 75% of the full costs of any additional forces which we might provide at their request.

CONFIDENTIAL