RESTRICTED
4. THE REACTION IN THE INDEPENDENT PRESS TENDED MORE TO THE VIEW THAT XU'S VISIT TO THE WALLED CITY AND HIS COMMENTS THERE WERE ILL-CONCEIVED AND NAIVE. THE EVENT DISPLAYED NCNA'S IGNORANCE OF THE FACT THAT MOST PEOPLE REGARDED THE AREA AS AN EYESORE ABOUT WHICH LITTLE HAD BEEN DONE BECAUSE OF THE BLOODY MINDEDNESS OF THE INHABITANTS. THE INDEPENDENT MING PAO EVENING NEWS SPECULATED THAT XU'S REFERENCE TO RECENTLY ARRIVED IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA WAS INTENDED TO DRIVE A WEDGE BETWEEN RECENT ARRIVALS (WHO WERE MOSTLY WORKING CLASS) AND HONG KONG RESIDENTS OF LONGER STANDING, MANY OF WHOM HAD SUCCEEDED IN ESTABLISHING THEIR OWN BUSINESSES.
HADDON-CAVE
4
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
LIMINUID HD/HKD
HD/FED
HD/FLANNING STAFF
HD/PUSD
PS
PS/LADY YOUNG
PS/MR LUCE
PS/PUS
SIR J BULLARD
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD
MR WRIGHT
THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT
ADVANCED
SIR I SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER
COPIES TO:
MR BURROWS
MR MARTIN
MR FLOWER
MR COLES
LEGAL ADVISERS ASSESSMENTS STAFF CABINET OFFICE
PUSD
NO 10 DOWNING ST
SIR A PARSONS 11
n
MR WALKER, RESEARCH DEPT
MR ROBERTS NEWS D
GOGGS
RESTRICTED
f