240
SECRET
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)
Cypher
Do R. 14
14 June, 1967.
#1
11
04402
IMMEDIATE
SECRET
No. 835.
141
Cops
a HWD 2/1
1967
Addressed to Commonwealth Office.
Repeated
#t
"Peking No. 333.
" POLAD Singapore No. 177. "Washington No. 183 (S. of S. please
pass to all).
COPY FOR RE
STRATION
230
My telegram No. 809.
Confrontation in Hong Kong.
U.S.S. HANCOCK (attack carrier) is scheduled to visit Hong Kong from 3 to 7 July. This would have a good effect, on local morale and it might also have a salutary effect on the pro-Communists. A particularly interesting feature of the confrontation hitherto has been the care they have taken not to get involved in any incidents involving American citizens. Although the demonstrators at Government House marched past the Consulate-General for the best part of three days there was no sustained attempt to stage any demonstration there; nor during the past five weeks have any U.S. servicemen been involved in any incident, though it would have been a simple matter to manufacture one.
20
Very little has been said in the Communist press recently about the visits of American ships (though there were 9 here on 9 June). It may be significant that the Peoples Daily editorial of 3 June said that the struggle here would be concentrated 'first and foremost against British imperialism', relegating the U.S. to a secondary position in the local context. We have had indications from sources in contact with the pro-Communists here that some of their leaders are very concerned about the U.S. attitude to trouble in Hong Kong and are anxious to discover how far the U.S. Government are committed to our support.
30 In the circumstances, it seems to me that the balance of advantage lies in letting HANCOCK come here. They may well make a great fuss about the visit, but it is hardly likely to tip them over the line between all-out confrontation and the present situation of perpetual threats.
RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES No. 63
14 JUNTY07
HWAI/N
BAST
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(Passed as requested with advance copies to Resident Clerk and Foreign Office F.E. Depton
200
PA
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