TNAG-0736-FCO40-940-Local-Intelligence-Committee-assessment-of-political-situati-1978 — Page 44

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4. THE MAJOR CHINESE COMMUNIST UNION IN THE TEXTILE TRADE (THE SPINNING, WEAVING, DYEING AND TEXTILE GENERAL WORKERS UNION) IS CLAIMING THAT THE INDUSTRY IN HONG KONG IS FACING A SERIOUS RECESSION DUE TO THE RESTRICTIVE MEASURES OF THE E.E.C.

EDUCATION.

CRIT

5. COMMUNIST EDUCATIONALISTS IN HONG KONG HAVE CRITICISED GOVERNMENT PLANS TO INTRODUCE A NINE YEAR FREE EDUCATION PROGRAMME WHICH, BECAUSE THEIR SCHOOLS ARE FEE PAYING, THEY CONSIDER WILL ADVERSELY AFFECT THEIR STUDENT ENROLMENT. THE DIFFICULTY OF ATTRACTING STUDENTS WILL BE INCREASED BY THE RISE IN THEIR SCHOOLS FEES WHICH WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY INCREASED SALARIES TO THEIR TEACHERS IN THE NEW YEAR. FOLLOWING AN INSTRUCTION FROM CHINA TO CEASE OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED JUNIOR CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION EXAMINATION (SEE PARA.2) EMPHASIS IS TO BE PLACED ON PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE EXAMINATION AND IMPROVING OVERALL ACADEMIC STANDARDS, PARTICULARLY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE COURSES.

6. SOME 80 LOCAL POST-SECONDARY STUDENTS ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE COMPLETED THE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION TO UNIVERSITIES IN CHINA HELD IN SHUM CHUN BETWEEN 11TH AND 13TH DECEMBER. ABOUT HALF OF THE STUDENTS ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN FROM LOCAL COMMUNIST SCHOOLS. THOSE WHO PASSED WILL COMMENCE THEIR STUDIES IN FEBRUARY 1978 ON COURSES LASTING BETWEEN THREE AND FIVE YEARS. THE RESULTS OF THE EXAMINATION ARE NOT YET KNOWN.

TERRORISM.

7. ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONS AT KAI TAK AIRPORT AND ALONG THE FLIGHT PATH CONTINUE TO BE TAKEN AGAINST THE TERRORIST THREAT TO WEST GERMAN AND BRITISH AIRCRAFT.

MACAU.

8. COL LEANDRO, WHO ENTERED HIS FOURTH YEAR OF OFFICE IN MACAU, APPEARS TO HAVE RECOVERED FROM HIS RECENT ILLNESS. FOLLOWING A VISIT TO MACAU ON 13-14 DECEMBER 1977 BY MR JOHN BECK WHO DEALS WITH EXTERNAL COMMERCIAL POLICY FOR THE EEC AND AFTER TALKS WITH ECONOMIC CHIEF, DOCTOR ARMANDO CAMPOS AN AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED BY COL LEANDRO FOR FIVE YEARS FROM 1 JANUARY 1978 PERMITTING MACAU TO INCREASE ITS TEXTILE EXPORTS TO THE EEC TO SIX PERCENT. THE AGREEMENT WAS NOT SIGNED FORMALLY. THIS WILL BE DONE AT A LATER STAGE AT MINISTERIAL LEVEL.

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