1565943
MDHIAN 1465
SECRET
За
SECRET
HKB 063
063
1
RECEIVER IN REC
FM PEKING
S
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
со
IN
TELNO 899
OF 170902Z JUNE 91
25 JUN 1991
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREPJLS HONG KONG
Ливал
me
Nas Coglin
тра
Mi
2011
Redacted under FOI exemption section 27(1).
(85
PERSONAL FOR BURNS, AUSS
HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR
UKREP JLG PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY
bo
HONG KONG TELNO 1886 AND UKREP TELNO 196: RN PRESENCE AFLOAT
1
I AGREE THAT THE CHINESE WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF WITHDRAWAL OF THE NAVAL PATROL CRAFT.
WE COULD
IN ANY CASE REASONABLY TAKE THE LINE THAT THE WORLD HAS
CHANGED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS: THAT A MAJOR REORGANISATION OF BRITISH FORCES IS IN TRAIN AND THAT THIS INVOLVES PAINFULL REDUCTIONS: AND THAT THE ROYAL NAVY HAS HAD TO TAKE ITS SHARE OF
CUTS.
2. WITHDRAWAL OF THE PATROL CRAFT WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY LEAD TO INCREASING ENCROACHMENT BY ARMED CHINESE VESSELS INTO HONG KONG WATERS (PARA 18 OF HONG KONG TUR). THE POTENTIAL FOR ACRIMONIOUS DISPUTES WITH THE CHINESE WOULD BE HIGH. WITHDRAWAL WOULD ALSO GREATLY COMPLICATE OUR EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE AN UNDERSTANDING WITH THE CHINESE ON DEFENCE LANDS: I AGREE STRONGLY WITH THE POINTS
IN PARAGRAPH 5 OF UKREP JLG TUR.
3. IN SHORT, I WOULD NOT ANTICIPATE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE CHINESE IF WITHDRAWAL OF THE PATROL CRAFT WENT AHEAD IN 1992. BUT WE COULD EXPECT SOME SHARP EXCHANGES. AND IT WOULD ADD TO OUR DIFFICULTIES IN WHAT WILL IN ANY CASE BE AN INCREASINGLY
DIFFICULT PERIOD.
MCLAREN
YYYY
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