MADE TO THE STRUCTURE OF NONA WITH REGIONAL OFFICES BEING SET UP
IN HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES. THIS APPEARS IN PART
TO BE DESIGNED TO MATCH THE GEOGRAPHICAL BASIS ON WHICH REPRESEN-
TATIVE GOVERNMENT IS EVOLVING IN HONG KONG. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN
MAJOR PERSONALITY CHANGES IN RECENT YEARS. FOLLOWING THE ARRIVAL
IN 1923 OF XU JIATUN AS DIRECTOR, MANY LONG-SERVING CANTONESE CADRES
HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY NEWLY-IMPOPTED OFFICIALS FROM THE MAINLAND.
THE NUMBER OF MAINLAND CADRES KNOWN TO BE WORKING IN HONG KONG HAS INCREASED FROM 1,076 IN 1982 TO 2.932 IN JUNE 1985.
3. NCNA'S CURRENT COVERT AND OVERT ACTIVITIES MAY BE SUMMARISED AS
FOLLOWS:
(A) DISCOURAGING THE FORMATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND WARNINGS
ABOUT DANGERS OF TOO PRAID A MOVEMENT TOWARDS REPRESENTATIVE
GOVERNMENT, ARISING FROM SUSPICION THAT THE BRITISH MAY BE SEEKING
TO PRE-EMPT THE TERMS OF THE BASIC LAW, AND IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE PRESSURE OF PUBLIC DEMAND FOR A SYSTEM WHICH THE CHINESE MIGHT FIND
DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AFTER 1997.
(3) SEEKING TO IDENTIFY AND WIN OVER PROMISING YOUNGER HONG KONG
CHINESE, BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CIVIL SERVICE WHO ARE COMPETENT
AND WELL-REGARDED LOCALLY AND WHOM THEY EXPECT TO BE IN POSITIONS
OF POWER AND INFLUENCE BY 1997. SUCH PEOPLE ARE EXTENSIVELY CULTIVATED BY THE MORE SOPHISTICATED AND IMPRESSIVE CHINESE OFFICIALS
NOW WORKING IN NONA, AND ARE ALSO INVITED TO PAY VISIT TO CHINA.
(C) CULTIVATING THE HONG KONG MEDIA AND PUBLIC IN ORDER TO NEUTRALISE
OR ISOLATE OPPOSTION AND GAIN ACCEPTANCE FOR CHINA'S POLICIES.
(D) BUILDING CONTACTS AND WINNING OVER COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS AT
THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL WITH THE APPARENT AIM OF STRENGTHENING THEIR
INFLUENCE IN THE BASES UPOON WHICH REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
IS EVOLVING.
4. THE MOST PROMINENT PERSONALITIES IN NONA ARE AS FOLLOWS:
(A) XU JIATUN. AT THE TIME OF HIS APPOINTMENT, XU JIATUN WAS A
MEMBER OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY AND
THE MOST SENIOR CHINESE OFFICIAL EVER TO HAVE BEEN STATIONED IN HONG
KONG. HE RETIRED FROM THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE AT THE RECENT PARTY
DELEGATES' CONFERENCE BUT RETAINED HIS HONG KONG POST). HE HAS
ADOPTED A MUCH HIGHER PROFILE THAN ANY OF HIS PREDECESSORS AND HAS
AT TIMES CONSCIOUSLY ENCOURAGED THE PUBLIC IN HONG KONG TO THINK
OF HIM AS A KIND OF SHADOW GOVERNOR. HE IS GENERALLY AFFABLE, TALKS
FREELY TO THE PRESS AT PUBLIC FUNCTIONS, BUT IS STILL VERY MUCH A
MAINLAND OFFICIAL AND IS SOMEWHAT HAMPERED BY HIS INABILITY TO
SPEAK EITHER CANTONESE OR ENGLISH.
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