CO537-4847 — Page 31

I.

PRESS.

SECRET

Likely Communist actions

and Policies.

(a) They will suppress entirely any inde- pendent press (as they have already done in Tientsin and Peking, and are doing in Shanghai.)

(b) They will supress

completely or impose crippling restric- tions (e.g. by cen- sorship) on British news agencies and British correspond- ents in China.

Action by Hong Kong.

Hong Kong, according to British traditions, will still seek to maintain freedom of the press. However, if Communist or pro- Communist newspapers in Hong Kong overstep the limits and are openly or covertly seditious they will have to be suppressed. This will probably have to be done under Emergency Regulations which are prepared. in readiness,

It is unlikely that C.C.P. press organs in Hong Kong will function as Party news- papers. If they were unwise enough to do that it might be possible to suppress thom under the Societies Ordinance. The new draft Printers' and Publishers' Ordinance will also enable them to be dealt with.

i. News Agencies Policy regarding New China News Agency and any other Communist- controlled news agencies will depend lar- gely upon H.MG.'s policy. In this connec- tion Communist attitude against British information services (attached to the Embassy and British Consulates in China) and towerds British news agencies (Reuters) and correspondents is relevant. British information services have already closed down, and Reuters and newspaper corres- pondents have now been prevented from engaging in any worthwhile activities in all major centres in "liberated" China. It is not desirable however to take action to suppress the New China News Agency in Hong Kong unless it is part of an overall policy by H.M. G. and the N.C.N.A. branch in London closed down. N.C.N.A. in Hong- Kong however must be closed down at once if at any time they print openly subversive material, or are found to be acting as a cloak for subversive activities. The matter has already been taken up with the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and generally the Hong Kong Government has discretion to act against N.C.N.A. should it be desirable to do so in emergency.

ii. Other News Agencies If Reuters is closed down in China the arguments for closing down N.C.N.A. are even greater, on & basis of reciprocity. There are a num- ber of smaller news agencies under Commun ist influence in the Colony, in particular the Kuo Hsin News Agency which could also be closed down as a simple gesture of re- taliation.

iii. Correspondents - If foreign corres- pondents are excluded from China similar steps might have to be taken with Communist newspaper correspondents in Hong Kong. Not

only accredited....