CONFIDENTIAL
237
CYHER/CAT A
ROUTINE WASHINGTON
TEL NO 1992
CONFIDENTIAL.
COPY FOR REGISTRATION
TO FOREIGN OFFICE
10 JUNE, 1967.
ADDSD TO FOREIGN OFFICE TEL NO 1992 OF 10 JUNE, REPTD FOR INFMN TO HONG KONG AND PEKING.
MY TEL NO 1891: HONG KONG DISTURBANCES.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAVE GIVEN US THE FOLLOWING CONSIDERED ASSESSMENT, WITH APOLOGIES FOR THE DELAY. BEGINS:
PEKING APPEARS TO HAVE ACCEPTED, AT LEAST TEMPORARILY, THE FACT THAT THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES IN HONG KONG HAVE CONTAINED
THE COMMUNIST-INSTIGATED AND LED RIOTS AND DEMONSTRATIONS. IN ITS JUNE 3 QUOTE PEOPLE'S DAILY UNQUOTE EDITORIAL PEKING IMPLIED DISSATISFACTION WITH THE PREPARATION, ORGANIZATION, AND PROPAGANDA ACTIVITIES OF THE HONG KONG COMMUNISTS. FROM THIS WE CONCLUDE THAT PEKING WAS UNHAPPY OVER THE SMALL AMOUNT OF SUPPORT ITS 15 MAY DEMANDS AND THE ACTIONS OF THE PRO-PEKING ELEMENTS RECEIVED FROM THE HONG KONG POPULACE. WE ARE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT ROLE COMPETING FACTIONS IN PEKING PLAYED IN THE ISSUANCE OF THE DEMANDS. IT IS EQUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE IF THE CREATION OF MANEU- VERING ROOM BY PEKING THROUGH FAILURE TO REITERATE THE DEMANDS FORMALLY OR TO PLACE A TIME LIMIT ON THEIR ACCEPTANCE WAS THE RESULT OF CHANGED ATTITUDES IN PEKING OR WAS DUE TO A REASSESSMENT OF COMMUNIST CAPABILITIES IN HONG KONG. IN ANY EVENT, PEKING APPEARS TO HAVE RETREATED FROM ITS 15 MAY POSITION.
DURING ITS RETREAT, PEKING HAS SERVED NOTICE THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE TENSIONS IN HONG KONG. IT HAS CALLED FOR THE STRUGGLE TO CONTINUE WITH THE WORKING CLASS AS THE CORE, WHICH IS ANOTHER WAY OF CONDONING STRIKES. IT HAS ALSO CALLED FOR THE MOBILIZATION OF YOUTH AND STUDENTS TO ACT IN CONCERT WITH THE WORKERS IN SOME UNDEFINED MANNER. PEKING HAS TAKEN THE POS- ITION THAT IT IS CHINA, NOT BRITAIN, THAT WILL DETERMINE HONG KONG'S FATE, AND IT HAS CALLED ON THE QUOTE PATRIOTIC COMPATRIOTS UNQUOTE IN HONG KONG TO BE READY AT ALL TIMES TO ANSWER PEKING'S
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