any means (e.g. covert) whereby we might prepare the ground with the Chinese Government for the necessary measures and so avoid the difficult situation which would arise from a publicly expressed adverse reaction on their part.
22 October, 1969
b. 5. Carter
(W. S. Carter)
Hong Kong Department
In proposing action against communist schools in the "walled city", the Hong Kong Government is bringing together two issues on which the Chinese have shown themselves to be very sensitive.
2
I would agree with Mr. Carter that there are other less contentious issues than education which would provide the Hong Kong Government with its excuse for extending its control over the "walled city". I fear, as Mr. Carter suggests, that communist education has become an obsessional subject in Hong Kong. I think therefore that we should steer the Hong Kong Government away altogether from making use of the school problem in this way.
3. I am not sanguine that an approach to the Chinese with a view of preparing the ground for action will meet with success. I presume that we are considering here not just generalized action to expand the Hong Kong Government's control over the "walled city" but action which would also involve measures against communist schools. It is unlikely that the Chinese would co-operate with what they must consider to be persecution of communist education by administrative means. If they were to agree to regulation of their schools as regards fire precautions they might think that we would then expand the discussion to include registration of teachers and other requirements.
1. Cuition
(C. Wilson)
4 November, 1969
I interpret Mr. Carter's remarks about possible informal discussions with the Chinese as referring only to generalised action of the kind referred to in paragraph 5 of Mr. Maddock's letter. In paragraph 7 of his minute Mr. Carter expressly precludes discussion about schools as "dangerous, if not counter-productive". On this basis I agree with him.
2. I also agree generally with the lines of reply proposed by Mr. Carter in his paragraph 8. But I think, as suggested by Mr. Wilson, that we should go further in trying to steer the Hong Kong Government away altogether from making use of the school problem in the way in which they seem to have in mind. I would
/ propose
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