Redacted
From:
Sir David Wilson KCMG
bec Pu
14
lunder FOI exemption 27(1)
督府
GOVERNMENT
HONG KONG
SECRET
Gael,
13 December 1990
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It was very kind of you to spare the time to see me during my visit to London last week, particularly when you have so many other pressing matters on your mind.
As I told you then, I am extremely concerned at the lack of progress that has been made on agreeing the financing arrangements for the retention of the Royal Navy patrol craft in Hong Kong beyond 1992. genuine military need for these ships endorsed by the Commander British Forces.
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These reasons point clearly to a need to retain the patrol craft well beyond 1992. But any arrangement that meant HKG contributing a larger share than that agreed in the Defence Costs Agreement (DCA) would mean having to seek the approval of the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council. This in turn would run the risk of reopening the whole question of the DCA which is, as you know, a very sensitive subject in Hong Kong. Already there are several members of the Council who dispute the annual payments we make under the DCA. change in the arrangerents would provide them with all-too-welcome ammunition to attack HMG and denounce the DCA as a whole. With elections due next year we can be sure that this ammunition would be used. these circumstances it would not make sense, either in domestic political terms or in the interests of relations between the UK and Hong Kong, for me to put to the Legislative Council any proposal for the patrol craft which changed the distribution of costs in the present DCA.
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