TNAG-1936-FCO40-2762-Future-of-Hong-Kong-defence-and-public-order-1989 — Page 77

CONFIDENTIAL

Лул

N

12/1

PA

22

HKC062/1

From:

A E Furness SPD

Date:

11 January 1989

CC:

APS/Lord Glenarthur

Mr Gillmore

Mr McLaren

Mr Yarnold, Defence Dept Mr Hum, HKD

Mr Cooper, FED

Mr Gore-Booth, Planners Mr Crabbie, Finance Dept Mr Pollard, Sec (0) (C),

MOD

Mr Colvin, SEAD

FUTURE OF THE FIVE POWER DEFENCE ARRANGEMENTS (FPDA)

1.

I spoke to Mr Byatt today (he was in London on a brief private visit) about the pros and cons of consulting the New Zealanders about the next steps with the FPDA (Mr Russell Baker's minute to you of 22 December 1988).

2. Mr Byatt said he was firmly of the opinion that it would be better to speak to the New Zealanders at more or less the same time as we spoke to the Australians. The New Zealanders would be certain to learn quickly from the Australians that we had consulted the latter about the future of the FPDA, and if they felt that we were deliberately excluding them from our consultations, they would be much more likely to make difficulties over FPDA matters. In any case, Mr Byatt added, we should not dismiss the possibility of constructive New Zealand reactions to any approaches we make to them about the FPDA. Mr Lange had, by his lights, been doing his best to educate the New Zealand public about the greater importance of South East Asia for the defence of New Zealand, compared with the South Pacific. Mr Byatt conceded that it might be preferable for us to approach the Australians first and seek their views on how best to approach the New Zealanders; but he said it would be better not to leave more than a week between any consultations with the Australians and any with the New Zealanders, so as to avoid any New Zealand feelings developing that we were dismissing them as serious partners in the future of the FPDA.

Dime

CONFIDENTIAL

A E Furness