CO537-6578 — Page 70

strongth:

-4-

on the other there may be advantage in demonstrating

that he is just the agent of the Kremlin's new imperialism.

9.

It is clear that a most effective line of propaganda

so far as the Chinese community are concerned is to point

the moral locally of what is happening in the region of

China with which they have close family and traditional

ties.

News of conditions in China filtering through

private channels is already having a considerable effect

among the Overseas Chinese. This publicity should be

amplified by all discreet means, but it must be borne in

mind that the Chinese in South-East Asia are most suspicious

of Western attempts to prejudice them against the Peking

Government; and the hand of the white man must therefore

be kept as far as possible in the background, so that the

news reaches the public apparently through Asian channels,

and much will depend on the reputation for trustworthiness

which these channels maintain. It is also important to

avoid disseminating obviously false information or Kuomintang

propaganda which will compromise the channels used.

Distribution of publicity through overt channels need not

be entirely excluded if no other means are available;

this must be left to the discretion of the authoritics on

the spot. It should be possible to bring home the bad

conditions in China without actually attacking the Peking

Government as such (in this connexion please see para. 8

of the main paper).

10. The same line should apply, with due local

modification, in North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei, as

well as in the Federation of Malaya and Singapore.

and

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