TNAG-1638-FCO40-2282-Future-of-Hong-Kong-withdrawal-of-the-British-garrison-1987 — Page 136

LOUSEN

SECRET UK EYES A

APPENDIX 1 TO ANNEX ITO ATTACHMENT TO CDS 7/87

نا

1. Under the terms of the Joint Declaration, the amount of new land which can be sold by the HKG for buildings or other purposes is 50 hectares (123.5 acres) per year. Land in excess of this

figure can only be released after agreement by the Land Commission

- a joint HMG/PRCG body, set up in Hong Kong which will remain

in being until 1997.

2. MOD property in the territory amounts to some 3139 hectares,

just over 700 of which is in barracks or similar sites, whilst the remaining 2400 is training land. Full details are at Appendix 2. As there is considerably more land than the HKG can dispose of for private use under the terms agreed, the HKG will need to find other uses for sites which it is either unable or unwilling

to dispose of on the open market. There are three essential

considerations:

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a. The garrison should withdraw from as many urban sites as possible before 1995 (under the current 2 year development legislation_requirements) to avoid providing a ready opportunity for PLA units to take over MOD sites

in built-up areas.

a t.

from urban sites

A

The programme of withdrawal will need to start early and may involve units moving to a new location

before withdrawal to enable the HKG to take over

and re-develop some important sites in good time before

the transfer of sovereignty.

b &.

3.

The HKG must agree to re-provide for certain specialist facilities if the urban sites are to be given up.

There are a number of key sites whose disposal will be critical to the withdrawal programme:

COS S/176 (2)

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UK EYES A

SECRET LOCSEN