TNAG-1941-FCO40-2767-Future-of-Hong-Kong-defence-and-public-order-1989 — Page 238

H-

Paul

TRANSCRIPT OF RADIO THREE NEWS ITEM - 7 am 8 SEPTEMBER 1989

Announcer:

enter

Sally Blyth:

(DEFENCE LANDS)

13/4

HKC062/1

Should be shot. He

is

.. The British Armed Forces are to leave their Headquarters in Central, possibly in 1991 and it is likely that the Headquarters, the Prince of Wales Building, will be pulled down as part of the redevelopment of that area. The news comes amid sensitive discussions over the role of Chinese People's Liberation Army troops in Hong Kong after 1997. Sally Blyth reports:

There will be a two-phase military pull out from HMS Tamar directly linked to the plans to reclaim the central waterfront. First will be the relocation of the Naval base which has now been confirmed will be to Stonecutter's Island. This is likely to happen by the middle of 1991 when Town Planners say they will need access to the Naval basin. It is understood that China had agreed to the move during the Joint Liaison Group talks prior to the Peking massacre but sources say that in the light of the war of words since June 4 over the stationing of PLA troops here they now expect China to oppose the move. Peking has long been sensitive to the question of redeveloping military installations on prime central sites seeing it as a means to keep its troops out of the highly visible urban areas. Therefore plans to also relocate the military Headquarters from the Prince of Wales Building is likely to heighten tension on the issue. Although no decision has been made yet as to when this will be Defence Officials say the military will have to go from the site regardless of 1997. They say that with the plans to develop the waterfront, HMS Tamar would no longer be secure enough for use as military Headquarters and it would be illogical to split the administrative and policy side of the military from its operational wing. Town Planners also say that the military must go from Tamar. Urban Project Manager from the Territory Development Department, Mr. Keith Austin, says a consultant's report plans for the entire redevelopment of the Tamar site.

Keith Austin: I Tamat is retained in its present position it

makes very little sense from town planning grounds and engineering grounds. In effect you would have a large hole in the reclamation. The east-west road links would be impossible on the surface and the trunk road, if Tamar had to be retained, would have to be exceptionally deep to

So on

very senior in Territory level Dest, allow marine traffic to and from Tamar.

planning grounds integration is strongly desirable.