TNAG-0014-FCO40-50-Kowloon-disturbances-1967 — Page 4

CFO 001

W

.H.K.

Deft

PLEASE PASS THE FOLLOWING PRIORITY IN A CATEGORY -A- CYPHER

TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG.

P Ø51745Z

FM JIC LONDON

TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL.

BT

JICTEL 726

DATED 5TH OCTOBER

1967.

FOR SECRETARY LIC(HK) FROM SECRETARY JIC.

FOLLOWING IS EXTRACT FROM W.S.1. DATED 5-10-67. CHINA CONFIDENTIAL]

NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS IN PEKING WERE ON A SMALLER SCALE AND MORE MUTED IN TONE THAN LAST YEAR. THE SPEECHES AND EDITORIALS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NATIONAL DAY CONFIRMED THE TREND, APPARENT SINCE EARLY SEPTEMBER, TOWARDS A SLACKENING IN PACE OF THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION AND A DRIVE TOWARDS GREATER UNITY AND DISCIPLINE. ALTHOUGH REFERENCES WERE STILL MADE TO THE NEED TO OVERTHROW THE +HANDFUL IN AUTHORITY+ THE TENDENCY WAS TO SUGGEST THAT VICTORY HAD ALREADY BEEN ACHIEVED IN THE CAMPAIGN. THERE HAVE, HOWEVER, BEEN OTHER OCCASIONS WHEN THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN PUT INTO LOW GEAR AND IT IS TOO EARLY YET TO SAY WHETHER THE PRESENT PHASE IS TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT. CHEN YI, AMONG OTHER LEADERS RECENTLY CRITICIZED, WAS PRESENT AT THE CELEBRATIONS. 2. IN SO FAR AS SPEECHES AND EDITORIALS REFERRED TO QUESTIONS OF FOREIGN POLICY THEY MAINTAINED THE SAME STRONGLY ANTI-SOVIET LINE AS USUAL. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF A CHANGE OF POLICY OVER VIETNAM AND, SIGNIFICANTLY, NO MENTION WHATSOEVER OF HONG KONG.

ENDS

BT

SENT AT 1815S

1.F.S.

K

RECD AT 18152/05 OCT DEG

ADVANCE COPY