TNAG-2672-FCO40-3869-Hong-Kong-defence-issues-1993 — Page 92

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FM HONG KONG

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELNO 465

OF 1809OOZ FEBRUARY 92

INFO ROUTINE PEKING

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RICTER2la?

20

Phil wast, Sec (As)

10

125407

MDLIAN 5104

Brins Gowne.

på

Воите

YOUR TELNO 122: RAF: CANTON AS HONG KONG DIVERSION AIRFIELD.

1.

THIS

2"

HQBF ARE NOT AWARE OF HAVING BEEN CONSULTED BY THE MOD ON ISSUE.

3 TYPES OF RAF AIRCRAFT USE HONG KONG VC10 AND TRISTAR IN CIVILIAN LIVERY, HERCULES IN CAMOUFLAGE. IN 1991 THERE WERE SOME 38 RAF AIRCRAFT MOVEMENTS THROUGH HONG KONG. THESE INCLUDED MOVEMENTS FOR 10 EXERCISES, 8 FLIGHTS OVER A 2-WEEK PERIOD FOR ARMS PLOT, 9 KOREAN HONOUR GUARD FLIGHTS, AND 1 TRAINING FLIGHT FOR EACH TYPE OF AIRCRAFT WHICH USES HONG KONG. WHERE SOLDIERS ARE IN RAF AIRCRAFT THEY ARE INVARIABLY IN UNIFORM AND THEIR WEAPONS ARE WRAPPED IN BUNDLES OF BOXED AND IN THE AIRCRAFT HOLD.

3.

IF IT WERE POSSIBLE TO NEGOTIATE CANTON AS A DIVERSION AIRFIELD, HQBF WOULD WELCOME IT. THE MAIN QUESTION MARK MUST BE OVER THE CHINESE REACTION TO THE POSSIBILITY OF AIRCRAFT FULL OF BRITISH SOLDIERS IN UNIFORM AND WITH THEIR WEAPONS LANDING IN CANTON.

4. WE ALSO WONDER WHETHER IT IS WISE TO TRY TO REPLACE/REPLACE MANILA WITH CANTON. COULD CANTON NOT BE PROPOSED AS AN ADDITIONAL/ADDITIONAL DIVERSION AIRFIELD ?. THERE COULD BE A POSSIBILITY OF CHINESE REFUSAL OF THE USE OF CANTON IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES.

WILSON

YYYY

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1

Kolt

Please call Mr West in Sec (As) concerning

this

relegram from Yt.K. NPPC73/5

Mal.

21/2/22