SECRET
208
OOPY FOR REGISTRATION
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)
JUN
5
12 #
10
Э
1967
Cypher
R.
D. 3 June, 1967.
3
#1
"
0925Z
PRIORITY SECRET
No. 769.
Addressed to Commonwealth office. Repeated
#1
Peking No. 301. (S. of S. please pass).
My telegram No. 714.t
165
AWBY/17
Ho Yin came to Hong Kong on 1 June and yesterday held discussions with members of the local Communist hierarchy. Later he reported the gist of these discussions to Q.W. Lee who in turn passed the information on to Cater. Apparently Ho came to Hong Kong on his own initiative and not at the request of the local Communist hierarchy.
2.
Ho reportedly said that the local Communist hierarchy were of the opinion that this was not the time to hold discussions with the Hong Kong Government; that they were confident of final victory. Local Communists held the opinion that in time pressure from the public, and particularly from business people, would force the Hong Kong Government to accede to the four demands. They accepted that this may take a long time, some months, or even two or three years, but nevertheless victory for them in the long term was certain. A problem which was exercising the hierarchy at the moment was the support for the police education fund: they were taking steps to ensure that their own fighting fund would grow rapidly and overtake that of the police fund thus giving them an opportunity of claiming a big victory.
3.
Q.W. Lee's assessment of the above was as follows:
(i) Communist hierarchy still genuinely do not know what
to do and are probably still awaiting instructions from China.
(ii) They are beginning to have doubts as to the type
4.
and amount of support they could expect from China, hence the emphasis on the willingness of local Communists to prepare for a long struggle.
Bearing in mind that this information has been obtained at third-hand, it is considered that Q.W. Lee's assessment is a reasonable appreciation of the present circumstances.
(Passed as requested with advance copies
for Resident Clerk and Foreign Office F.E. Dept.)
LACT
165
SECRET
вад
/Distribution