173
COPY FOR RECISTRATION
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
(The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)
30
10
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63
1967
12
3
En Clair
D. 29 May 1967
R. 29
#
1030Z
3 QMAY 196/
PRIORITY No.728
HWAYO
Addressed to Commonwealth Office (Do To Da Repeated to: POLAD Singapore No.139
Peking No.283
The Communist papers this morning (29 May) devoted their front page editorials and other reports to the arrival of the "BULWARK".
2. The Ta Kung Pao editorial entitled "Are the Hong Kong British intending to indulge in gunboat diplomacy?". Times have changed and gunboat diplomacy cannot now work against the New China. "Obviously the British ships have come here to bolster Trench's morale, to intimidate Chinese compatriots in Hong Kong and to provoke the whole of the Chinese people....The Hong Kong British are today trying to increase their suppression by intimidation this plot
娜
must be exposed. In this way everybody can raise their vigilance, unite and get organised and struggle with them to the end. With the strong motherland in the rear and the thoughts of Mao Tse-Tung pointing the way the struggle will definitely be victorious".
30 The Wen Wei Pao editorial entitled "People are not frightened even by an aircraft carrier" makes the following specific points. The presence of U.S. ships in Hong Kong at the same time as the "BULWARK" is evidence of Anglo-U.S. collusion. The display on deck of men and equipment as the "BULWARK" arrived was a clear indication of the intention to intimidate. The Chinese people have never been intimidated by gunboat diplomacy, witness the opium war, the Boxers and the "AMETHYST" incident. What use is the "BULWARK" anyway? Can its aircraft bomb Statue Square? Of what value are your 2,000 troops even with the support of the so-called "400 and more organisations". The "BULWARK" is a paper tiger with one tooth and half a claw. As Chairman Mao teaches us "In order to struggle against the enemy we have formed the concept over a long period that strategically we should despise all enemies but tactically take them seriously". If you escalate we will also escalate and struggle right through until the Hong Kong British have unconditionally accepted the 5 serious demands of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the 4 just demands of the Hong Kong compatriots. This conclusion was reached already a long time ago.
40 There are also on the front pages of the N.C.N.A. reports datelined Hong Kong 28 May, which describe the "BULWARK", state that its visit is a plot and that Chinese compatriots in Hong Kong are closely watching this.
5. A number of neutral and right-wing newspapers have published pictures of the ship, usually without comment.
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