10 October 1949
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Annex II to JIC(FE)(49)41(Final)
demcratic parties such as the C.D.L. and the K.M.T. Revolutionary Committee have a small number of middle class adherents but the majority of the ranks of these parties are filled with refugee elements. Mcst members of such parties have become tools of the C.C.P. and have provided a screen behind which great deal of successful propaganda has been carried out. This particularly is so in the case of intellectuals. There are roughly three classes which make up the main strength and influence of the C.C.P. in Hong Kong.
10
(1)
(11)
(iii)
·
Party members who constitute the hard core and provide the leadership.
Candidates for Party membership and others in process of indoctrinaticn- mainly students and journalists.
Fellow travellers - those brought intellectually and commercially into contact with Communists, and who see that their immediate interest lies in association with Communism.
Latest unconfirmed reports suggest the existence in Hong Kong of a Municipal Committee divided into nine sections covering labcur, women, propaganda, crganisation, party administration, youth,. culture, liaison and finance. Full information on this, however, is still lacking and there remains scme doubt as to the chain of responsibility upwards; whether, for instance, it receives its crders direct from the Central Executive Committee or through cne cr subcrdinato organisations such as the Scuth China Bureau and the Kwangtung Provincial Committee.
11.
There are a number of allied crganisations which presumably link at an appropriate level with the Municipal Committee. These include the New China News Agency, the China New Demccratic Youth Corps, the National Student Federation of China, the All China Federation cf Labour and cther "All China" C.C.P. crganisations, ccyering women, jcuralists and scientists.
Propaganda methods and achievements:
in
12.
The C.C.P. has a well-equipped propaganda machine and makes full use of its resources for propaganda in the Colony. It exploits its successes to the full. It has the advantage over the K.M.T. that its prlicy has an appeal to those who have seen the K.M.T.
regime fail. A recent tendency is to explrit Chinese Nationalism particularly by supporting Chinese claims to Formosa and Tibet and by claiming for the C.C.P. the position of protector of overseas Chinese communities and interests (this latter line has however not been sc fully developed as it might be).
13.
There are two definitely Communist daily papers of importance, and one which is nominally Liberal but tends to follow the Party Line faithfully. There are also a number of periodicals which are either frankly Communist cr, while pretending to be independent cr Liberal, slavishly follow the Party Line. This represents only a small pro- portion of the daily press. Accurate circulation figures are difficult te btain, but pro-K..T. and independent middle-rf-the-rrad-papers still have more popular circulation.
14.
Much propaganda is made through the meetings of left wing Trade Unions, Singing groups and other party and allied crganisations. Opposition material has less cpportunity of reaching these circles.
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