Redacted
under FOI exemption 27(1)
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173067
MDHIAN 3219
INCURSIONS BY CHINESE PATROL VESSELS, AND SMUGGLING. THE DEFENCE OF THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES IS AS MUCH A PART OF THE UK'S OVERALL DEFENCE COMMITMENT AS THE DEFENCE OF THE UK.
9. ALTHOUGH THE MAIN JUSTIFICATION FOR RETENTION OF THE VESSELS IS ON DEFENCE GROUNDS, THERE WOULD BE OTHER DRAWBACKS IN ANY DECISION TO WITHDRAW THEM.
10. FIRSTLY, THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE PATROL CRAFT WILL BE INTERPRETED BY SOME PEOPLE HERE AS A WEAKENING OF THE UK COMMITMENT TO THE TERRITORY.
12. THIRDLY, IN PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES, THE CHINESE WOULD PROBABLY INTERPRET ANY DECISION TO WITHDRAW AS PART OF AN ATTEMPT TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE RETENTION OF TAMAR WAS UNNECESSARY, AND TO ESTABLISH THAT THERE WAS NOT NEED TO BUILD REPLACEMENT FACILITIES. UKREP JLG HAVE BEEN CONSULTED ON THESE LATTER TWO POINTS AND AGREES WITH OUR VIEWS.
13. ALL THIS IS VERY UNFORTUNATE AND WE CERTAINLY WOULD NOT WISH THIS PROBLEM TO SURFACE PUBLICLY AT THIS TIME. WE REMAIN WILLING TO CONTINUE TO SEEK AN AGREEMENT WHICH MEETS MODS AND OUR REQUIREMENTS. HOWEVER, DUE REGARD WILL HAVE TO BE PAID TO THE DIFFICULT POLITICAL SITUATION WHICH WOULD ENSUE WERE THE VESSELS TO BE WITHDRAWN OR WERE WE TO PAY MORE THAN THE 65 PERCENT AGREED IN 1988, AND THE WIDER ADVERSE IMPLICATIONS THIS WOULD INEVITABLY HAVE FOR HMG.
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