SECRET
Hong Kong telegram No. 370 to Commonwealth Office
- 3
-
reinstatement by the dockyard and, as many of them are skilled in trades for which there is little call outside the shipbuilding and repairing industry, they would experience difficulty in obtaining employment elsewhere. The Communist hierarchy will have a difficult task in persuading them to accept the need to seek re-employment. Meanwhile officials of the Transport Union are apparently attempting to maintain the morale of members by alleging that reinstatement by the Bus Company is imminent, but the misleading nature of these claims must soon become apparent to the workers and their dissatisfaction could turn against the Union Officials as well as the management.
4。 At present there appears to be something of a lull in local Communist activity, which, in broad terms could almost be said to be meandering. In the labour field the major Unions are preoccupied with persuading their members that the 'return to work' is in accordance with Mao's thoughts: in schools there has been to a large extent a return to the pre- confrontation level of academic teaching and the propaganda world seems to be somewhat at a loss for a new major anti- Government theme, many of the items currently appearing being repetitions and somewhat played out. This is not to say that the local Communist movement is losing sight of its long term aim of subverting the authority of Government, but rather that there may be some uncertainty in the Communist ranks as to the best manner in which this can be achieved and, in general, a lack of firm direction from the top. It may be too a reflection of growing doubts about the eventual outcome of the cultural revolution in China and particularly about the future position of individuals who played a prominent part in its more violent phases.
Foreign Office please pass Priority Peking 130, Washington 37 and Canberra 20.
Sir D. Trench
FILES
C.O. H.K. Dept.
I. & G.D.
J.I.R.D.
F.E.P.D.
[Repetition to Peking referred for Departmental decision, repeated
as requested to other posts] [Passed to Cabinet Office]
Sir A. Galsworthy
Mr. Hall
P.S. to Secretary of State
P.U.S..
P.S. to Minister of State
(Lord Shepherd)
Ha. of P.A.D.
F.Q. F.E.D.
Sir D. Allen
Mr. Wilkinson
FFFFF
Hd. of Comms. Dept.
SECRET
ADVANCE COPIES SENT
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.