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HOPY ALSO ON FED 82/454/01RE}}} £1223
TOP SECRET and GUARD
D/PL II
Colonial Secretariat,
Lower Albert Road,
Hong Kong.
27th September, 1957.
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1
Dear Peter,
Please refer to your letter F 1071/16/G of
April 24th about American commitments in respect of Hong Kong.
2. I have been asked to let you know that the Minister of Defence suggested in conversation with the Governor that the United States Government might be persuaded to make a public commitment to the defence of Hong Kong
2.
(a) by a categoric statement by Dulles (or some
American leader) that if Hong Kong were attacked by the Chinese, the U.S.A. would immediately come to the defence of the Colony, and/or
(b) by the inclusion of Hong Kong in the area of
S.E.A.T.O.'s responsibility.
The Governor, in reply, deprecated any public state- ment, or the inclusion of Hong Kong in S.E.A.T.0., for the reason that these would be provocative to the Chinese Government and would probably have the effect of moving Hong Kong from a low place on the Chinese priority list of targets to a high place. That would not preclude a general statement such as that America was determined to stem the advance of Communism in any part of the world, etc. etc.
3.
In this connection the point made in my letter of March 26th still holds good, that if we expect the Americans not to be prepared at this stage to go to the extent of making a political decision (as distinct from a political declaration) that would take their commitment beyond the planning stage, then it would be better not to press just now. since to be turned down would leave us worse off than we are at present. It would be worse still if it were to become known publicly that we had been turned down.
4.
I am sending copies of this letter to Greenhill in Singapore and de la Mare in Washington.
Yours ever, Dick
(R.T.D. Ledward)
P.G.F. Dalton, Esq.,
Far Eastern Department,
Foreign Office,
S.W.1.
Page 133
Page 133
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MEETING HELD ()~P~1)
Page 134 ofSETO PLANS - INFORMATION FOR GOVERNOR OPage 132ONFIDENTIAL
HONG KONG
DEE75/50/02-
Previous Reference: C.0.S.(57)59th Meeting. Minute 2)
THE SECRETARY was informed by telephone of the agreement of the Chiefs of Staff to a suggestion in a Secretary's Minute that the Governor of Hong Kong should be given guidance on present and future SEATO plans on the lines of paragraphs 2-4 (14) of C.0.5.1084/18/7/57 subject to the following amendment:
Paragraph 4 add "by SEATO forces"
Page 134 Colonial Office have been informed aBaged Bagafy172
C.0.S.1139/29/7/57
TOP SECRET
DDF 75/51/01 (TS)
Saving135 of 172
Your Ref
File P135 of 17
II
HONG KONG
the Secretary of State for the Colonies
To the Officer Administering the Government of
Date........... 12
August, 1957
No.
1392. Saving TOP SECRET
Repeated to : Commissioner General for the
United Kingdom in South East Asia
NO. 132
Your Savingram No. 842 repeated to Commissioner-
General Singapore as No. 50.
S.E.A.T.O. Military Plans
Your request that Hong Kong should be kept
informed of present and future S.E.A.T.O. military plans, which might affect Hong Kong, has been referred to the Chiefs of Staff, who have indicated that S.E.A.T.O. military planning, with which they are in agreement is based on the following considerations:
(a) Assessment of the Threat. The major threat to the treaty area is subversion and insurgent action. Overt military action is unlikely. If this were to occur the most likely form would be a Viet Minh attempt to overrun the rest of Indo- China. Next in order of probability would be joint Viet Minh and Chinese aggression in the whole of the S.E.A.T.0. area with the main Chinese thrust directed at Bangkok. Third in order of probability would be unilateral Chinese action without Viet Minh support. Page 135 of 172
Page 135, of 172
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From the Secretary of State for the Colonies To the Officer Administering the Government of
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