SECRET
Cypher/Cat A
PRIORITY HONG KONG
ΤΟ
Telno 20
SECRET
120
TOP COPY
COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
Hiv
4 January 1968
For Galsworthy.
Your telegram No. 20. G.I.S. Teleprinters.
There has been no opportunity for the Communist Press to demonstrate a modification of their attitude so far. The full G.1.S. teleprinter service has been restored and we are now about to start a series of moves during which it will become clear whether or not a more reasonable attitude will be adopted.
2.
We now intend to repossess immediately (on 5 January) the teleprinter held in the empty offices of the suspended Hong Kong Evening News. We are not expecting any trouble and no direct police action is planned. As to the others, only the Wen Wei Pao is in arrears although line charges for most of the others fall due this month. A paper describing in full the present position was sent to Mr. Hall for information on 28 December.
3.
The intention is to play this coolly. We plan to give the Wen Wei Pao further time to pay: should they continue to refuse we will cut off the service and warn them that we are aiming to collect the teleprinter at a given date. We do not however intend to insist on forcing our way into the building to recover the machine. Our preliminary views are that the next step might be for Government to buy the teleprinter from the Telephone Company, leave it in situ but demand reimbursement of the cost of purchase before restoring the G.1.S. service. The same drill would be followed with other papers should they fall into arrears.
4. I must emphasise that the general improvement in the attitude of the Communist Press and of the Communists in general is believed here to be primarily a matter of tactics. Although they are no Jonger advocating (or mentioning) violence, they are still attacking Government in vituperative terms on issues (e.g. devaluation and salinity) which seem likely to bring them increased political support. I have no doubt that their general aim is still to subvert our authority but by different means and in the longer term.
Sir D. Trench
FILES
C.0.
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Hong Kong Dept.
129
F.0.
Far Eastern Dept.
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No. 63 -5 JAN1968
HWD14/22
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