TNAG-0115-FCO40-151-Departmental-briefs-for-Commonwealth-Prime-Minister-s-and-ot-1969 — Page 74

Copy No. 29

CONFIDENTIAL

No. Garfiana

Brief No. 3. 25

ANGLO-JAPANESE MINISTERIAL CONSULTATIONS

LONDON 1-2 MAY, 1969

ITEM: (I) (B): HONG KONG

(U.K. to lead)

K.271

PA

M

internal briefing fil. As

OBJECTIVE

To make it clear to the Japanese that the situation in Hong

Kong is back to normal after the disturbances of 1967 and that

the basic stability and economic prosperity of the Colony have

in no way been affected by Communist activities.

TALKING POINTS

The Communist inspired disturbances in the Colony ceased at

the end of 1967 and apart from very occasional minor clashes

between low level Communist elements and the Police in the

course of the latter's routine duties, there has been no

violence in the past sixteen months.

We

2. Having failed completely in their efforts to undermine by

violence the authority of the Hong Kong Government, the

Communists are now conducting a long term ideological campaign

in an attempt to win the support of the general public.

have every confidence that the Hong Kong Government have the

means to resist such a campaign and there is no evidence to

suggest that it is meeting with any success.

This is hardly

surprising since approximately one-third of the population of

Hong Kong consists of refugees from Communist China who have

had first hand experience of Chinese Communism.

CONFIDENTIAL

RECEIVED IN

RECISTRY No.51

79 MAY 1969

4/11/19