TNAG-1639-FCO40-2284-Future-of-Hong-Kong-withdrawal-of-the-British-garrison-1987 — Page 34

SOURCES SAID

UNCLASSIFIED

011577

MDLIAN 1093

ITS INITIAL

CHINA MAINTAINS THAT IT HAS NOT DECIDED ON THE TIMING OF THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE BRITISH GARRISON BUT IT IS TRUE THAT THINKING DOES NOT TOE THE LINE WITH THE BRITISH.

1 'WHILE CHINA ACCEPTS THAT THE BRITISH SOLDIERS HAVE TO LEAVE EVENTUALLY IT FEELS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT START PULLING OUT TOO EARLY, OTHERWISE IT MAY CREATE SOME CONFIDENCE JITTERS.''

IT IS UNDERSTOOD CHINA HAS NOT SUGGESTED ANY COUNTER PROPOSALS ON THE TIMING OF THE WITHDRAWAL SINCE THE JLG MEETING IN MARCH BECAUSE IT HAS NOT YET CONSOLIDATED ITS OWN THINKING.

BOTH GOVERNMENTS HOPE TO FIND SOME MIDDLE GROUND AT A SPECIAL WORKING GROUP MEETING IN BEIJING NEXT MONTH. SOURCES SAID.

IS RESPONSIBLE THE WORKING GOUP, SET UP BY THE JLG IN MARCH " HAMMERING OUT DETAILS OF THE GARRISON WITHDRAWAL IN THE RUN TO 1997.

FOR

UP

THE GROUP COMPRISES SENIOR DIPLOMATS AND MILITARY EXPERTS OF THE TWO GOVERNMENTS AND IT REPORTS TO THE JLG.

SOURCES

''THOUGH EVERYBODY REALISES THE WITHDRAWAL WILL COME ONE DAY AS 1997 APPROACHES THEY WOULD NOT EXPECT IT TO COME SO SOON,'

SAID.

THIS EXPLAINS WHY BOTH GOVERNMENTS HAVE REMAINED TIGHT LIPPED OVER DIVULGING THE PROPOSED DEPARTURE PLAN OF THE BRITISH GARRISON.

DESPITE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENTS SOURCES SAID IT WOULD BE UNLIKELY THAT THE PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY WOULD BE STATIONED HERE BEFORE 1997 TO FILL THE GAP LEFT BY THE BRITISH

SOLDIERS.

''CHINA HAS ALREADY ACCEPTED THE BRITISH PLAN OF EXPANDING THE POLICE FORCE FROM 25,000 TO 30,00 TO TAKE OVER PART OF THE GARRISON

WORK HERE IN MAINTAINING LAW AND ORDER AND OTHER CIVILIAN DUTIES NOW PERFORMED BY THE ARMY' SOURCES SAID.

ENDS

WILSON

2

PAGE UNCLASSIFIED