TNAG-0115-FCO40-151-Departmental-briefs-for-Commonwealth-Prime-Minister-s-and-ot-1969 — Page 80

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4.64.

CONFIDENT IAL

AUG

Mr. Garryhara. Старката.

Briefs

as amended have

been sent to R. Pickles.

ANGLO JAPANESE MINISTERIAL CONSULTATIONS

MAY 1969

2314

HONG KONG

23

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.

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. We have every confidence

that the Hong Kong Government have the means to resist such a campaign

and there is no evidence to suggest that the latter 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 i'irst hand experience of Chinese Communism,

We shall continue to seek the restoration of normal working

relations between Hong Kong and China; there has been some slight

improvement in those relations in recent months, but while

22

CONFIDENTIAL

/substantial ...