CONFIDENTIAL
Cypher/Cat. A
PRIORITY TAMSUI TO FOREIGN OFFICE
el. 21
23 May 1967
123
CONFIDENTIAL
Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 21 of 23 May Repeated for information to Political Adviser Hong Kong and Peking, Washington.
General themes of local Press comment on recent events in Hong Kong have been.
(i)
Britain is paying the penalty for having perpetually bowed and scraped to Peking since 1950.
(ii) The authorities in Hong Kong are standing firm and will not cower before pressure from Peking as did Portuguese in Macao. Nevertheless they have been too lenient and should get tougher with rioters,
(iii) Pro Nationalists in Hong Kong should offer large
scale resistance to rioters.
2. There has been much speculation here that disturbances will result in flight of capital and trained workers to Formosa but although Nationalists would no doubt welcome this "Government" sources have denied they will entice them away.
3. Sub-paragraph one (iii) is unlikely to represent views of Nationalist leaders here. My information from [grp undec] sources is that leaders advocate restraint and non-involvement by their supporters in Hong Kong and are encouraging them to
This attitude would almost cooperate with the authorities.
certainly change if it were thought that Her Majesty's Government were likely to reach some form of settlement resulting in suppression of Nationalist Organisations in the Colony.
H.M. Consul-General
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
F.0.
F.E.D. S.E.A.D.
Sent 1016Z/23 May 1967 Recd 11132/23 May 1967
C.0.
J.I.R.D.
D.D. & P.U.S.D.
J.I.P.G.D.
News Dept.
TEXT
REF.
140
F. E. & P.D. D.T. D.
SSSSS
DIS MOD
CONFIDENTIAL
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