SADVENTAL
Exhad
in
FILA
10%
Extract
п
HUJA
13/22
(for example a survey of transport needs is one which might usefully be undertaken) could be a variation of this and I have asked our Economists to consider possibilities. I appreciate, however, that technical assistance funds are tight and that there are many competing projects. /// 21.
A less parsimonious attitude by other departments of HMG would also be helpful and would remove what is at present an unnecessary irritant. For example, the Ministry of Defence
raising charges for the hospitalisa-
are apparently contemplating
tion of Hong Kong policemen, wounded in the disturbances, who were treated at the British Military Hospital - a hospital built by the Hong Kong Government who also make a substantial contri- bution each year towards its running costs!
22. Before concluding I should mention the field of information. The external problem is that of sustaining international confidence in Hong Kong, and seeing that the world has a picture of events and achieve nents in the Colony. A good deal is happening on this front. A Working Group in London is co-ordinating the effort, and a flow of material is being fed to posts and into all appropriate media. Hong Kong have had an officer from
London on secondment with the job of gearing local efforts to fit in with the needs of the world-wide operation. A substan tially increased flow of material from Hong Kong has been arranged and there is now a good and creative working liaison between the information machine in London and the Department in Hong Kong. The Embassy in Tokyo have seconded an officer to Hong Kong. It is planned to send a feature writer from C.O.I. to join the Hong Kong Information Department.
23.
Internally there are a series of separated but related problems how to counter attempts by the P.L.A. to subvert
troops on frontier duty: how to neutralise Chinese communist
activity with fishermen and agriculturists in the New Territories;
CONFIDENTIAL
/and
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