SECRET UK EYES A
THE RUNDOWN OF THE HONG KONG GARRISON TO 1997
Introduction
1. The outline plan for the withdrawal of the Hong Kong Garrison by 30 June 1997 was approved by the Chiefs of Staff in 1987 (CDS 7/87) and has since been reviewed in 1989 and 1991. The plan is to be reviewed in detail again this year and that process is under way. However this is having to be carried out against a background of increasing sensitivity on the part of the Hong Kong Government about the size of the Garrison and its cost they
meet 65% of the full running costs under the 1988 Defence Costs Agreement (DCA) amounting to £135m in 1991/2. The current
delicate situation between the UK and China is also a
consideration.
2.
The purpose of this note is to define the broad policy framework against which the 1993 Review should be conducted with the aim of seeking formal Hong Kong Government agreement to it prior to detailed staffing. The intention is to underpin the DCA and commit the Hong Kong government to a withdrawal plan which is militarily sound while maximising value for money and which will be politically sustainable in Hong Kong
The role and activities of the Garrison
3. The Garrison's role is to support the Hong Kong government in demonstrating UK sovereignty over the Territory until 1997 and where necessary to assist the Hong Kong government in maintaining law and order and internal security. This reflects the
intelligence assessment that the principal threat to the Territory's security arises from internal unrest rather than external aggression. (The latest JIC assessment (JIC (92) 50 dated
18 December) concluded that the risk of Chinese military intervention in the event of a threatening internal security or political situation in the Territory before 1997 was low.) The
SECRET UK EYES A
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