TNAG-0042-FCO40-78-Future-Sovereignty-of-Hong-Kong-Defence-Review-Working-Party-1967 — Page 100

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

TOP SECRET

W

2 -

earner of foreign exchange will diminish. Such evidence as

we have indicates that there are differences within the Chinese

leadership between the extremist group inspired by Mao who are

unreservedly in favour of pushing the Cultural Revolution to

the limit and encouraging "making revolution" inside China and

outside it, and a second group of a more moderate and realist

attitude including the Prime Minister, Chou En-lai. It is

possible that the first group might be willing to sacrifice the

economic benefits derived from Hong Kong in the interests of

intensifying the confrontation with the Hong Kong Government,

while the second group would be disposed to control the level

of confrontation in order to avoid disrupting the colony to an

extent which would damage China's economic interests. In the

present state of confusion in China it is by no means certain

that the second group would prevail. Soviet jibes about China's

tolerance of foreign colonial possessions on its territory will

not be helpful to them.

D Paragraph 5

This paragraph should now read as follows after the

sentence ending "China's overwhelming local military superiority":

"There are three other types of situations in which

negotiations for such a withdrawal might be contemplated.

These are:

(a) as in present draft_7

(b) A situation in which Kwangtung broke away from

control by Peking;

(c) as (b) in present draft_7

TOP SECRET

/(a)

Comments

Approved members can add comments, bookmarks, and private notes.

No comments yet.

Private Research Note

Private notes are available after approval.