TNAG-2912-FCO40-4187-International-support-from-Asia-regarding-the-future-of-Hong-1993 — Page 71

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WELL DESPITE MINOR RECENT UPSETS. ECONOMIC PROSPECTS IN BRITAIN

WERE GOOD. THE GOVERNMENT HAD NOW PUT THE MAASTRICT DEBATE BEHIND

THEM.

AIR SERVICES

4.

THE SULTAN SAID HE WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF MR GOODLAD COULD TAKE

UP THE AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT ISSUE. THIS MATTER WAS AT AN

UNSATISFACTORY STAGE AS FAR AS BRUNEI WAS CONCERNED. MR GOODLAD

MENTIONED THAT LORD GLENARTHUR HAD REPORTED THIS TO HIM AND THE PRIME MINISTER. IT WAS DISAPPOINTING THAT BRITAIN'S FEBRUARY COMPROMISE PROPOSALS HAD NOT BEEN ACCEPTABLE: THESE REPRESENTED A REAL EFFORT TO MEET BRUNEIAN CONCERNS. HE WOULD MENTION THE ISSUE AGAIN TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND DISCUSS IT FURTHER WITH THE

BRUNEIAN MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS.

DEFENCE ISSUES

5. MR GOODLAD COMMENTED THAT HE HOPED TO VISIT THE GURKHAS WHILE

IN BRUNEI. BRITAIN TOOK ITS ROLE IN REGIONAL SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS

VERY SERIOUSLY. IF THERE WERE ANY ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS WHICH THE UK COULD MAKE, PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF RELEVANT SALES, WE WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO DO ANYTHING WE COULD TO HELP.

HONG KONG

6 =

THE SULTAN ASKED FOR MR GOODLAD'S VIEWS ON THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG, ESPECIALLY ON THE FUTURE OF THE GURKHAS. MR GOODLAD SAID THAT THE TWO UNITS OF GURKHAS CURRENTLY IN HONG KONG WOULD REDUCED TO ONE BRIGADE AND THAT THIS WOULD RUN DOWN AS 1997 APPROACHED. AT THE END OF THIS PERIOD THE GARRISON WOULD BE MANNED

BY THE BLACK WATCH. THE ROYAL NAVY AND ROYAL AIR FORCE WOULD ALSO

MAINTAIN A PRESENCE UNTIL 1997. HE HAD EVERY HOPE THAT THE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY WOULD TAKE PLACE IN AN ORDERLY FASHION SO THAT THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG WERE MAINTAINED. THIS WAS IMPORTANT TO HONG KONG AND CHINA AND THE REGION AS A WHOLE. MR GOODLAD THEN BRIEFED THE SULTAN AT SOME LENGTH ON THE CURRENT STATUS OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH CHINA OVER HONG KONG. HE CONCLUDED THAT HONG KONG WAS NOW AN IMMENSELY SOPHISTICATED FINANCIAL AND COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE. THE RULE OF LAW SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXIST AND DEMOCRATIC ACCOUNTABILITY TO GROW IF WORLD CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG WAS TO BE CONTINUE.

REGIONAL SECURITY

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