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tho Chinoso labour force can be described as pro-Comunist, a largo
proportion of those are lukowarn (as recent attempts to organiso stoppages
of work in ossontial servicos have shown). Therefore unless the
Communists can croato conditions in Hong Kong which will give general
grounds for concorn and dissatisfaction, the instigation of widespread
disorders may prove very difficult.
10.
Industrial Action. The local Communists have boon onginooring
stoppages in public utilities, government departments, otc. So far
thoir offorts have not with only partial succoss, Transport sorvicos
and harbour facilitics have boon the most seriously affected but thoro has
boon no disruption on a scale likely to damage the economy of the Colony
in the short term, However, if those tactics wore pursued on a larger
scalo and with groator porsistence, accompanied by widespread intimidation
and bribory of workors, they might have, in the long torn, a quito danaging
offoct on the economy.
11.
Cutting off supplies of food and water. Hong Kong is heavily dependent
on Chinu for its food supplies, particularly of such stable commoditios as
rico, moat, fruit and vogotablos.
China supplios 56% of all food imports.
85% of all fish consumed in the Colony is landed by the local fishing
flect but only a small proportion of the supplies are caught in the Colony's
vators and China could make difficulties for local fishermon by a rigid
enforconont of their territorial wator claims. Existing stocks of the
main foodstuffs are good at the prosont timo, amount in the case of rice,
for example, to about two months supply. Gonorally, it should not be too
difficult to find alternative sources of supply (although in prosont
conditions of world scarcity thoro nay bo difficultios in the case of rice).
However, supplics from alternativo sources are bound to be very much moro
oxponsive and the incronsod food bill could, unless subsidised to tho
consumor, havo a sorious impact on the cost of living and wage levels, on
Hong Kong's competitivo position in export markets and on the economy as a
wholo.
/12. Wator
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