TNAG-0053-FCO40-89-Communist-activities-in-schools-1968 — Page 46

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IMMEDIATE PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE

Telno 813

3 September, 1968

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Addressed to F.0. telegram No. 813 of 3 September. Repeated for information to:

Hong Kong.

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Hong Kong telegram No. 1032: Communist Schools.

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I find this a very disturbing telegram. The question of Communist education in Hong Kong was fully discussed in correspondence in June and July as a result of proposal to deregister Chung Wah. Fears were expressed in Peking telegrams Nos. 577 and 620 that the Governor might be seeking a basic change in policy which would negate the efforts to improve Sino/British relations. We were assured in Hong Kong telegram No. 855 of 5 July that these fears were exaggerated and that no major changes in policy were proposed (para. 3 of Hong Kong telegram No. 855). It was stated (para. 9) that "Anything that we can do (sc. to hamper Communist Education) would be done carefully and as discreetly as possible", that there was no present intention to close existing schools and that there was no objection to peaceful propagation of Mao's thoughts. The Ministerial decision on Chung Wah School of July was that though school should be deregistered because of violence it was important that any application for a new school with new staff etc. on the premises should be judged by normal criteria and that we should do our best to get this over to the Chinese to show that we were not (repeat not) seeking to obstruct Communist education as such (your telegram No. 1292 of 13 July). Some six weeks later we are told by Hong Kong that before very long "more,overt and fairly direct action" may be necessary perhaps at short notice "to curb opening of new schools and perhaps also activities of the older ones" and that we shall have to accept consequential Communist reaction.

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The implications and likely consequences of such a course are examined in Sir D. Hopson's telegrams Nos. 577 and 620. The following points should, however, be emphasized.

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(a) whatever may have been intended in June or July the

Governor is now contemplating an attack on Communist education as such and it will be so recognised by the Chinese at once. Chung Wah was deregistered because of bomb-making, but this defence cannot be offered for action now in mind.

(b) If this course is taken we should meet full-scale Chinese opposition. There must be no doubt about the seriousness of this. Indeed the Governor recognizes this in the final sentence of telegram under reference. The Chung Wah issue has shown how extremely sensitive Chinese are over the subject of "patriotic" education. We have 90 far narrowly avoided a crisis over Chung Wah, because we have offered a new school and given assurances that peaceful Communist education is not in danger. But Hong Kong telegram No. 1035 para. 2 shows risks we still run even on Chung Wah and Chinese suspicion that we may be about to escalate. Communist comment on Chung Wah has from the outset made it clear that what they are mainly concerned about and would react most strongly to is a general attack on "patriotic" schooling and what they regard as "sacred right to propagate Mao's thoughts". This is what we would be undertaking and there would be

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