TNAG-1400-FCO40-1872-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Ministry-of-Defence-(MOD)-property-1985 — Page 34

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference..

1984

1984

нак оторва

Mr Burrows (Legal Advisers

Mr Peirce, HKD

Galsworthy, HKD

WH 216) (See attacked

до

lague that we stad paise the subject with Mos eventuallys back to HK. Reversion of Lynn to HKS and future of Kohina site with be first test cases.

MOD PROPERTY IN HONG KONG

1.

RUP.8/3

During the negotiations the Chinese made it clear that in their view, the UK should "hand over to the CPG of the PRC gratis and intact all the military installations in the Hong Kong area as well as all the land, buildings and public facilities belonging to the British Government".

2.

In light of this, we asked Hong Kong what properties MOD owned in Hong Kong. On 23 October 1984, Hong Kong (43

sent us а list of MOD properties, the majority of which we HKK0402held under Memoranda of Appropriation. We wrote to

Hong Kong on 16 November to ask

the significance of such Memorandums are, and what Hong Kong proposed we

B

HKKC402 45 do about Land and property owned by HMG in Hong Kong.

C

We asked then vers on this is dire Conse

3

should

We have now received a very full reply from Hong Kong to our specific questions, but totally failing to answer our general point. (I have spared you some of the excess papers attached to the minutes by the solicitor of the Registrar General's Dpeartment.) If I understand his minute cofrectly, most MOD land reverts to the Crown when the MOD have finished with it. Buildings etc are covered by the Defence Costs Agreement. Hong Kong agree that we should dispose of those properties MOD own under Crown leases on the open market before 1997, but the rest would revert to the Crown or the statutory land authority, if we decide to create one, before 1997, and then to the PRC/SAR after 1 July 1997.

4.

I think that we should now consult the MOD, asking that this subject be considered as part of our review of the garrison u to 1997. Presumably there is advantage in allowing land to revert to the Crown (or the statutory land authority) for other use before 1997

SO that it will not be taken over by the PLA on 1 July 1997. This has implications for when and how we should reduce the garrison.

5.

I think we should also go back to Hong Kong asking if they are aware of any other property owned by HMG (as opposed to the Crown) in Hong Kong, and what in their view we should do about it.

6.

I would be grateful for your comments.

8 March 1985

Var fll. F11.

J N Powell

Hong Kong Department

CODE 18-77

CONFIDENTIAL