TNAG-0736-FCO40-940-Local-Intelligence-Committee-assessment-of-political-situati-1978 — Page 16

GR 520 IMMEDIATE

CYPHER/CAT A

Host Cry

anto I'm preston

FIX HONG KONG 0507832)

SECRET

SECRET

H KK014/1

RECY IN PARKY NO. E1 PICK

PA

REGIS BY

Action Teken

TO IMMEDIATE F.C.0 TELNO.1062 OF 5 SEPTEMBER 78 X

INFO PEKING, CANBERRA, SINGAPORE, INFO SAVING WELLINGTON.

PLEASE PASS TO CABINET OFFICE FOR SECRETARY J.1.C.

OSCICER

THE FOLLOWING IS THE LIC ASSESSMENT FOR AUGUST 1978.

CHINESE COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES.

THE

THE PERFORMANCES

1. FOLLOWING A TOUR OF THE UNITED STATES THE CHINESE PERFORMING

ARTS COMPANY GAVE SEVENTEEN PERFORMANCES IN HONG KONG AT A LOCAL COMMUNIST THEATRE AND TWO CONCERTS AT THE CITY HALL. REPERTOIRE INCLUDED A NUMBER OF SONGS WITH SOME POLITICAL CONTENT,

FOLLOWING E.G., IN PRAISE OF MAO; CHOU EN LAI AND HUA KUO-FENG. DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PROMOTERS THE CITY HALL CONCERTS, ONE OF WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY THE ACTING GOVERNOR AND OTHER PROMINENT LOCAL FIGURES, INCLUDED ONLY INSTRUMENTAL PIECES.

WERE WELL RECEIVED: ALL TICKETS WERE QUICKLY SOLD AND THE COMPANY STAGED ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMES TO MEET PUBLIC DEMAND. FIRST OCCASION SINCE BEFORE THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION THAT PERMISSION HAS BEEN GIVEN FOR A MAJOR PRESENTATION FROM CHINA TO

BE HELD AT THE CITY HALL.. AS A UNITED FRONT ACTIVITY, THE VISIT BY THE CHINESE PERFORMING ARTS COMPANY MUST BE JUDGED BY THE CHINESE TO HAVE BEEN A SUCCESS.

LABOUR.

THIS IS THE

2. A DISPUTE OVER SEVERANCE TERMS INVOLVING APPROXIMATELY 1,500 EMPLOYEES MADE REDUNDANT BY THE CLOSURE OF HONG KONG SPINNERS TEXTILE FACTORY WAS SATISFACTORILY CONCLUDED (PARAGRAPH 5 OF THE JULY ASSESSMENT REFERS). THE SUDDEN CLOSURE OF TWO OTHER SUBSTANTIAL COMPANIES RESULTED IN MINOR INDUSTRIAL ACTION BY

SECRET

/ REDUNDANT

}