mount effective widespread strike action. Nevertheless during the last
year it has shown its resilience and its determination to conduct a long
term insidious campaign to undermine the authority of Government. It
has already initiated moves in many spheres to regain its former influence.
So far these have been largely unsuccessful but as the memory of the
violent events of 1967 gradually fades from the public mind, so may the
communists appear more "reasonable" again and thus acquire a wider base of
support from the public. This must be a top priority requirement if they
are to achieve a position from which, without more than moral support from
China, they can hope once more seriously to threaten the security of the
Colony.
35.
China.
Everything, of course, depends eventually upon the attitude of
At present the authorities there have made it quite clear to the
local communists that a policy of non-violence is to be pursued in Hong
Kong, one which will not interfere with the Sino-British relations, and
that they must not expect any substantial help from China in the struggle to
regain their position in the Colony. While this policy prevails no
dramatic recovery in local communist strength or its capability to present
a serious physical threat to the security of the Colony seems likely in
the immediate future, but persistent work to consolidate their ranks and
obtain support from the public must be expected to bring about a gradual
improvement in the communist position here. However, any serious
deterioration of the situation in Hong Kong, which might result from
reaction to a spontaneous incident or a situation in which local communists
and Peking itself were forced to support a more violent stand against the
Hong Kong Government, could clearly cause the C.P.G. to reassess her
policy towards the Colony.