CONFIDENTIAL
136
126203 MDLIAN 9706
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1064
OF 27113OZ MARCH 90
HKB 400/1
RECEIVED IN
07 APR 1990
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
TOP COPY Q DIE
(132)
YOUR TELNO 648 : ESTABLISHMENT OF A DEFENCE LIAISON OFFICE IN HONG KONG: REPUBLIC OF KOREA
1. WE ARE NOT KEEN ON THE IDEA OF A KOREAN DEFENCE LIAISON OFFICE (DLO) IN HONG KONG. IF IT WERE IDENTIFIABLE, THE CHINESE WOULD IN ALL PROBABILITY HAVE STRONG RESERVATIONS. ALTHOUGH THEIR RELATIONS WITH THE ROK ARE IMPROVING, THERE ARE STILL NO DIPLOMATIC LINKS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. ROK MILITARY MATTERS ARE OF COURSE PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE FOR THEM. MORE IMPORTANT WE DO NOT SEE ANY ROLE FOR SUCH AN OFFICE IN LIAISING WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OR WITH BRITISH FORCES HERE, NOR IN PLAYING A PART IN THE UK'S DEFENCE SALES TO KOREA.
2. WE ARE SURPRISED BY THE KOREAN REFERENCE TO A US DLO. SUCH AN
OFFICE ALREADY EXISTS IN THE SENSE THAT IT IS THE COLLECTIVE NAME FOR THE US SERVICEMEN IN THE CONSULATE HERE. THE OFFICE'S ROLE IS TO HANDLE THE CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF US SERVICEMEN VISITING HONG KONG COVER 57,000 ON SHIP VISITS ALONE LAST YEAR), LIAISE WITH BRITISH FORCES HERE AND IMPROVE US SECURITY-RELATED SALES TO HKG. NO PARALLEL ROLE WOULD EXIST FOR A KOREAN DLO.
3. WHY DO YOU THINK THE KOREANS ARE MAKING THIS APPROACH ?
4. YOU MAY WISH TO REPEAT THIS EXCHANGE TO SEOUL.
WILSON
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CONFIDENTIAL
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