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Reference......
Mr. Gaminara
Would you please refer to your minute of 12) Pre 5 December about the Special Branch reports with
particular reference to points raised by Mr. Wilford.
(a) I have found no reference to China based cadres being sent into Hong Kong. Mr. Appleyard has also confirmed that he has seen no reports to this effect. The only reference I have seen in the press to the movement of communists in and out of Hong Kong have concerned the periodical visits of the local Hong Kong leaders to China presumably for indoctrination and policy direction. This seems to have been a fairly regular procedure especially since the fiasco of the 1967 disturb- ances. Senior staff of NCNA are of course replaced from China.
(b) Again, as far as anti-American propaganda is concerned neither Mr. Appleyard nor I have seen any reference to a campaign to bring about a rift between the Hong Kong Government and the Americans There is of course plenty of anti-American propaganda in the communist press of Hong Kong. Naturally the latter do not miss opportunities of reporting anything that damages the American image offences by U.S. servicemen in Hong Kong, the Pinkville Massacre etc. But these are after all part of the general anti-American campaign. would have thought however, that to attempt, as a specific policy to create a U.S./H.K. rift would be extremely difficult at the present time. Much U.S. money is going into Hong Kong and the earnigs from U.S. tourists, a not inconsiderable proport- ion of whom must include U.S. servicemen who spread a fair amount of money over quite a wide segment of the population.
I
(c) We have plenty of fairly detailed evidence of the very poor showing of the communist control- led schools in the school certificate examinations I have not been able to turn up any reference to the examination results in DIB's, though the latter announce when the results are due in the Hong Kong press. However the disparity between the results of the communist schools and the others is so great that it must be common knowled- ge.
Early in 1969 a report mentioned that the communist Middle Schools had expressed their intention to participate in the school certificate examination. Although there were at the time, indications that more emphasis was to be placed on "formal" study it soon became evident that the reverse was taking place - political studies in fact increased. It seems fairly certain therefore that the communists regard political indoctrin- ation as being more essential in the long term and as Mr. Carter has said "captive" parents and hard-core communists are unlikely to be moved by considerations of the school certificate examinat- ion. It is possible of course, that the past year's results could help to win away the luke- warm from the hard-liners.
(a) The Government have of course opposing considerations in dealing with the hawkers in that
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