TNAG-0605-FCO40-753-Political-parties-and-movements-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 4

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(d)

(e)

(f)

we have slight reservations about the implication in the last sentence of paragraph 20 that "patriotic support for Peking" has been a constant phenomenon since 1949. This is no doubt true in a sense, but the degree of support given to Peking and, hence, the effectiveness of United Front activities has, we think, varied a good deal at different times over the past quarter of a century;

one key area of United Front activity which the report outlines and which deserves particular attention is the field of sport. Local KMT/Communist infighting over sporting activities in Hong Kong is no doubt a useful back up to efforts made at an international sporting level to promote Chinese interests at the expense of Taiwan, or vice versa. Another key area is education, where the Communists have been losing ground for some time;

paragraph 19 of the report suggests that United Front activities in Hong Kong give rise to very little expense to the CPP.

I doubt, though, that recruitment or specialist training are locally funded, or that visitors to China pay their way. All this must cause the Chinese authorities to dip fairly deep into their coffers;

(g) paragraph 7 argues that the United Front

effort is orchestrated into other Communist activities. I can see how this could be in the field of sport, but the paper gives no indication of how this orchestration works in other fields. And this would be interesting to know;

(h)

(i)

a small point: Mr Li Wan-yuen, whose happy bankruptcy is covered in paragraph 18 of the report, quite coincidentally led the COI-sponsored Kai Fong delegation that came to the UK last year and saw Lord Goronwy-Roberts. Perhaps Peking have now concluded that we have decided to match them at their own game;

as paragraph 7 makes clear, the organisers of United Front activities would have to be careful to avoid bringing things to the boil before Peking has decided to change the status quo in Hong Kong. in Hong Kong will, for the time being therefore, have to avoid exchanging their present

Cadres

position of exercising influence for one of running Hong Kong. You and they will need

a great deal of ingenuity and tact to maintain an acceptable balance