CO537-6578 — Page 64

A

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attitude towards Communist China.

Two influences which have

For the

helped to bring this about seem to be the realization by the Overseas Chinese communities that they are still living in countries with non-Communist or even anti-Communist Governments, and the discouraging news through private channels about China itself which contradicts the rosy propaganda put out by Peking. The special case of Malaya is treated in an annexc. rest of the Overseas Chinese, efforts should be made to stimulate this type of adverse criticism, on points connected with Russian imperialism as well as unsatisfactory local con ditions, by all discreet means including Asian press comment and reports and other similar information which might not other- wise be available locally to the Chinese communities. It is

also important to avoid disseminating obviously false or embroidered information or Kuomintang propaganda, which merely compromises the channels used. The importance of discretion, if this operation is to succeed, has been agreed in conver- sations in London with the Deputy Under Secretary in charge of Publicity of the State Department. While the United States

Government do not recognise the Peking Government, they are none the less agreed with us on the objectives outlined in this paper.

There is every advantage in close contact with

United States publicity organisations in the field, and in ensuring that whatever the channels used, they should build up confidence in their reliability.

9. Towards the indigenous populations of South-East Asia the task is theoretically easier; we must hammer into them the essential opposition of Soviet imperialsim to Asian nationalism and seek to invoke the latter in the cause of resistance to Communist encroachment. The Soviet Union has played into our hands in this task to some extent by declaring its hostility to /the Governments.......