TNAG-0289-FCO40-325-Departmental-briefs-on-Hong-Kong-1971 — Page 156

CONFIDENTIAL

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28.1.71.

BRIEF FOR THE UK MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK, ON HONG KONG

POLITICAL SITUATION

1. Since the end of the communist-inspired disturbances in 1967,

the local communists have avoided violence in their programre of

confrontation with the authorities. It appears that they are

under firm instructions from Feking to act within the law and to

direct their energies to building a broader political base for

their activities in the Colony. They have kept up their criticism

of the authorities using whatever means may come to hand and there

is every indication that they will continue indefinitely in their

efforts to undermine the authority of the Government and to win

public support for their cause. They have had some limited success

in the field of trade unionism which, because of the weakness of

right wing unions, they dominate in certain defined areas. They

take care to adopt a correct approach in trade union negotiations

in which they consistently show better results than do the non-

communist unions.

2. At the end of 1970, approximately 74 long-term communist

prisoners were still serving sentences for their part in the

disturbances of 1967. There is some local pressure for their

release at present. For prestige reasons and the morale of their

local supporters, the Chinese Peoples Government cannot afford to

forget these prisoners. The Chinese now constantly refer to them

in their official diplomatic exchanges with us, and it is clear

that they regard the continued detention of these offenders as a

major obstacle to a further improvement in 3ino-British relations.

28 January 1971

(The sentence side-lined may be used in response to specific enquiries.)

CONFIDENTIAL.