TNAG-1727-FCO40-2440-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 100

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that the British troops will only be required in case of riots, which may never occur. But then we must acknow- ledge that the defence of a colony is the duty of the Sovereign state, for

defence is one of the indicia of

sovereignty,

foreign affairs being the other. So when a sovereign state maintains an army in a folony, that Colony should not be expected to pay for it at all. [Indeed, it is pertin- ent to note that according to the Joint Declaration in the present draft of the Basic Law, the future Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will not be required to make any contribution towards the stationing of the People's Liberation Army in the ferritory. At the recent in-house meeting of the non- Government members of this Council, it was decided unanimously that we would give our full support to the Hong Kong Government in negotiating down our cont-

The

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ribution towards, defence costs.

owards

The

principle being the less, the better.

Therefore, the least is the best.

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le/cap

Sir, as to the argument that until very recently Hong Kong has been paying 75$ percent

of the defence costs, my comment is

that the Finance Committee, at that time

should never have allowed/defence costs

Lowed to reach such a ridiculously high per-

centage, but this is water under the

bridge, and I do not wish to debate on the rights or wrongs of that decision. But I do submit that no matter how much