TNAG-0279-FCO40-315-Visit-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Aff-1970 — Page 96

CONFIDENTIAL

extreme than in 1967); but the authorities are inhibited from taking legal action because of extreme sensitivity on the part of the Chinese Peoples' Government to any action which might be

construed as an attempt to control the activities of the communist press (the taking of such action in 1967 led directly and immediately to the sacking of our Mission in Peking during

August of that year).

10. Communist schools have an aggregate enrolment which represents 2.4% of the total school enrolment in the Colony. However, they have a captive clientele in the families of acti ̈re communist supporters, communist trade union members and employees of communist concerns; such schools provide for a high

level of political indoctrination and are not easy to control.

11. In spite of all their efforts, the available evidence

indicates that any successes which the communists have achieved in winning support for their cause is confined to winning back those who sympathised with (but did act actively support) their

cause before 1967.

Hong Kong Department,

9 April, 1970.

-4-

CONFIDENTIAL