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4. ONE DELEGATE COMPLAINED ABOUT RECENT INCREASES IN RATES,
ELECTRICITY AND INDIRECT TAXATION HERE. IN REPLY LIAO REPORTEDLY BECAME EMOTIONAL, MADE GENEROUS NON COMMITTAL PROMISES AND ASKED FOR MORE INFORMATION.
COMMENT
5. THIS VISIT WAS ORGANISED BY A NUMBER OF NT FIGURES WHO WERE ACTIVELY DISLOYAL OR WORSE IN 1967. FOR THIS REASON, THE VISIT IS LIKELY TO BE DISMISSED BY MORE LOYAL PUBLIC OPINION IN HONG KONG. BUT IT IS SIGNIFICANT THAT A NUMBER OF MIDDLE OF THE ROAD PEOPLE WERE WILLING TO TAKE PART. SOME OF THESE HAVE COMMENTED PRIVATELY SINCE THEIR RETURN THAT THEY WOULD NOT WISH TO SEE A PRC FLAG OVER HONG KONG, NOR COMMUNIST CONTROL OF THE ADMINISTRATION. BUT SINCE THEY WERE APPARENTLY UNWILLING OR UNABLE TO VOICE THESE MISGIVINGS TO LIAO CHENGZHI, THE CHINESE ARE LIKELY TO REGARD THE VISIT AS SOMETHING OF A UNITED FRONT COUP.
YOUDE
FUPURE OF RONG CÔNG
MEMEMMED
ED/RKGD HD/FED
ED/PLANNING STAFF ED/PUSD PS
PS/MR HURD
PS/LORD BELSTEAD PS/FUS
SIR J BULLARD
MB GIFFARD
MR DONALAD
2
COPIES TO
SIR I SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER MR BURROWS LEGAL ADVISERS
MR ROBERTS NEWS D
MR MARTIN
MR FLOWER
ASSESSMENTS STAFF CABINET OFFICE
PUSD
MR COLES NO 10 DOWNING ST. SIR A PARSONS
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