TNAG-1937-FCO40-2763-Future-of-Hong-Kong-defence-and-public-order-1989 — Page 43

Redacted lunder FOI exemption 27(1)

101

SECRET

HKC 062/1

32

161506

MDHIAN 4463

SECRET

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 28120OZ FCO

TELNO 685

OF 281020Z FEBRUARY 89

INFO DESKBY 28120OZ MODUK

SIC

57

TO

TOP COPY Q`DIST ?

YOUR TELNOS 305 AND 319: WITHDRAWAL OF THE GARRISON.

1. EXCO CONSIDERED TODAY THE MOD PAPER ON THE FIRST REVIEW OF THE *1987 GARRISON WITHDRAWAL PLAN.

2. EXCO ENDORSED THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE REVIEW.

3. MEMBERS ALSO SUPPORTED THE NEED TO RETAIN FLEXIBILITY OVER THE FINAL PHASE OF THE POST-1994 WITHDRAWAL. THEY NOTED THAT IT MIGHT WELL BE IN HONG KONG'S INTERESTS TO RETAIN A NAVAL PRESENCE AND TWO BATTALIONS UP TO 1997. OUR ORIGINAL REASONS FOR CONCLUDING IN 1987 THAT THE ROYAL NAVY SHOULD BE WITHDRAWN EARLY, AND THAT POST 1994 THE GARRISON SHOULD BE REDUCED TO A SINGLE BATTALLION, WERE THAT A VERY REDUCED GARRISON IN THE LATER STAGES WOULD INFLUENCE THE DEPLOYMENT OF CHINESE FORCES IN HONG KONG POST 1997.

THE CHINESE WERE LIKELY TO

MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR POST 1997 DEPLOYMENT IN HONG KONG IRRESPECTIVE OF FUTURE REDUCTIONS IN THE PRESENT GARRISON. DECISIONS ON NAVAL AND MILITARY STRENGTH SHOULD THEREFORE BE TAKEN SOLELY IN LIGHT OF THE PRACTICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS IN HONG KONG. EXCO

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