The Crown Colony of Kong

Norman L. Dodd colonel UK Army, retired

A 'part of China presently administrated by the they must be the minimum required for their tasks. British authorities' is the terminology used by the These tasks have first to be decided. Certainly government of the Peoples' Republic of China to there is no possibility of the garrison being large describe the British Crown Colony of . enough to withstand a direct attack from China. The Chinese do not accept the 'unequal' treaties of 1841 and 1860 which ceded Hong Kong and A remote possibility anyway, particularly so due Kowloon respectively to the British or the 1898 to the present good relations between the United lease of the New Territories. A lease, which, ac- Kingdom and the Peoples Republic and locally cording to the British but not the Chinese, lapses between Hong Kong and the neighbouring pro- vince of Kwantung (Canton). There is no other in 1997. The latter say that Hong Kong will revert exterior threat to the colony. The principle task to their administration in due course but at present of the defence forces is therefore one of internal they are in no hurry to exert their authority. security in support of the locally raised but mainly, The curious position in which the defence forces at present, British officered, police force. This task find themselves in Hong Kong arises partly from is all important. The Commander of the British this Chinese view of the situation. The inhabitants Force, Lt.Gen. Sir Edwin Bramall, said recently: of Hong Kong and the British government fully understand that China could not and would not Hong Kong's phenomenal progress and achievement, accept any British grant of self-government to the and the remarkable economie position it has earned colony. This position is quite opposite to their for itself in the Far East and indeed the world can desire for the inhabitants of other colonies of the be attributed largely to three things: former British empire. The Chinese government 1. the extraordinary ingenuity, drive and energy of its have also made it clear that they would not accept people and those who come to work here; a situation in which the British terminated their 2. a stable tax system; 3. the ability of the government to maintain and in- overall responsibilities for the internal and extern- deed to guarantee law and order. al defence of the colony. There must be a con- Our ability to get through, with our own resources, tinuing presence of British troops in Hong Kong. any internal disturbances however long or short is Locally enlisted forces alone responsible for the still fundamental in terms of confidence, to any long defence of the colony would not be acceptable to term economie endeavours and progress. the Chinese communists or to the Chinese inhabi- The police, excellent though they are, do need support tants of Hong Kong. Both would mistrust the im- when 'the chips are down'. partiality of such forces in a time of serious crisis or troubles. Nor would it be economical for the The close co-operation between the police and the colony to raise, train, equip and arm a fully fledged armed forces, which will be discussed later, ensu- 'army', 'navy' and 'air force'. res that the police can be used in what they are most suited, i.e. close contact with the local popu- Required strength for principal task lation and dealing with crowds and crime. The military supporting by guarding vital points, cor- These factors were much in the minds of the re- dons, rural patrols and the provision of special- presentatives of the British and Hong Kong gov- its services and equipment. The co-operation and ernments during the 1975 negotiations on the organization of both forces is so designed that a future strength and financing of the garrison. situation can never develop in which the police Both governments are agreed that some British get so exhausted that the Army has to take over. troops must remain and that for