TNAG-1938-FCO40-2764-Future-of-Hong-Kong-defence-and-public-order-1989 — Page 38

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GARRISON TITLE

44. CDS 7/87 introduced the concept of the title "Sovereign Force Hong Kong" for the Hong Kong garrison in order to meet the need to signal British sovereignty and HMG's continuing political commitment to the Territory throughout the phased withdrawal. However, the FCO have expressed concern about formal or public adoption of this title. The FCO have made the point that the garrison has had responsibility for demonstration of British sovereignty over the Territory for well over a century without resort to any special title. They have observed, that it would not be readily explicable why HMG should choose to make the point less than a decade before relinquishing sovereignty. They suggest that the Hong Kong public would find it richly ironic and that the Chinese, who have never acknowledged British sovereignty over Hong Kong would be perplexed and irritated by a gesture they would perhaps interpret as provocation. For these reasons, it is proposed that the term "Sovereign Force Hong

COS49.6-17

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