SCR 10/3371/71
CONFIDENTIAL
J.D I Boyd Esq WASHINGTON
2 September, 1971
23
12
SENKAKU ISLANDS (TIAO YU TAI)
I refer to your letter 4/11 of 13 August to Gaminara about the numercus representations made to consular posts throughout the United States over the Senkaku Islands. We have not kept you very fully informed about these student demonstrations but I hope that the lack of information has not proved a disadvantage to the consular offices concerned. Apart from the Hong Kong telegram No. 465 to FCO of 8 July to which you made reference, we also sent you a paper prepared by Special Branch describing the connections between dissident students and others in Hong Kong and Chinese students in North America under cover of my letter of 24 June to Michael Laird. In that letter I mentioned that Special Branch were preparing a larger study of the "New Left" in Hong Kong. They did complete their study but we judged that it was not a useful document to distribute outside Hong Kong. We now have a Working Party which is examining this problem but it is unlikely that we shall produce anything suitable for distribution outside Hong Kong before the end of the year.
2.
If we are to keep you fully informed about the progress of student demonstrations on this issue ve shall have to burden you with a great deal of information. Most of it, I fear, would have to be sent by telegram since it is obvious that the Chinese students in North America receive speedy directives or advice from their friends here. We will certainly send you a telegram if we have troubles which are likely to put the consular posts into difficulty. But I think it would not be very useful to try to keep the consular officers fully briefed about the peculiar and complicated development of events in Hong Kong. They will always be at a disadvantage compared with the Chinese students in North America who are fully aware of the significance of such Hong Kong institutions as Victoria Park, the Urban Council, the City Hall, Statue Square etc. We have no objection at all
/contd.
CONFIDENTIAL
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