TNAG-0741-FCO40-945-Relations-between-China-and-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 68

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4. CC UNIST PARTY OFFICIALS FROM LOCAL PROPAGANDA ORGANISATIONS

ATTENDED MEETINGS IN PEKING IN FEBRUARY DURING WHICH THEIR

ORGANISATIONS WERE SCREENED FOR TRACES OF ''GANG OF FOUR''

INFLUENCE. PAST PERFORMANCE WAS REVIEWED AND NEW WORK PLANS

WERE SET. A NUMBER OF THESE OFFICIALS UNDERWENT SELF-CRITICISM

AND SEVERAL WERE DESIGNATED FOR REPOSTING. LOCAL PRESS CIRCLES

WERE AGAIN URGED TO ADOPT A MORE PROFESSIONAL APPROACH TO THEIR

WORK AND TO IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS OF SERVICE FOR STAFF IN THEIR

NEWSPAPERS. A SIMILAR DIRECTIVE WAS GIVEN TO MEMBERS OF THE FILM

INDUSTRY. SINCE THE MEETINGS IN PEKING THERE HAVE BEEN INDICATICS

..OF A MORE RELAXED POLITICAL ATTITUDE IN THE LOCAL COMMUNIST PRESS.

5. THERE WERE FURTHER MOVES TO PROMOTE CHINA'S INTERESTS IN

INTERNATIONAL BADMINTON. THE COMMUNIST CONTROLLED HONG KONG

BADMINTON ASSOCIATION HOSTED A WORLD BADMINTON INVITATION

CHAMPIONSHIP'' FROM 22-26 FEBRUARY AND THE BREAKAWAY WORLD BADMINTON FEDERATION (WBF) HELD ITS INAUGURAL MEETING DURING THIS EVENT. THE WBF, WITH AN INITIAL MEMBERSHIP OF NINETEEN ASIAN AND AFRICAN BADMINTON ASSOCIATIONS (INCLUDING HONG KONG)

HAS BEEN FORMED FOLLOWING CRITICISMS IN 1977 OF THE FAILURE OF

THE INTERNATIONAL BADMINTON FEDERATION (IBF) TO EXPEL TAIWAN. THE ASIAN BADMINTON CONFEDERATION (ABC) HAS ANNOUNCED ITS

INTENTION TO LEAVE THE IBF AND TO JOIN THE WBF BUT FOUR LEADING

BADMINTON COUNTRIES IN ASIA (JAPAN, INDONESIA, INDIA AND MALAYSIA)

HAVE CHOSEN TO REMAIN MEMBERS OF THE IBF FOR THE TIME BEING.

REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE PAN-AMERICAN BADMINTON CONFEDERATION

AND FIVE EUROPEAN NATIONAL BADMINTON ASSOCIATIONS, WHO ATTENDED THE WBF INAUGURAL MEETING AS OBSERVERS, ANNOUNCED THAT THEIR

ORGANISATIONS WILL JOIN THE WBF IF THEY ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH

IBF POLICIES PUT FORWARD AT THE LATTER'S FORTHCOMING CONGRESS

IN MAY.

ECONOMY AND LABOUR.

6. ON 24 FEBRUARY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED A TWENTY

FIVE PERCENT RENT INCREASE TO TAKE EFFECT FROM 1 APRIL 1978. THIS WILL AFFECT OVER 11,000 SHOPS IN SOME PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES. SO FAR, THERE HAS BEEN NO REACTION TO GOVERNMENT'S ANNOUNCEMENT.

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/EDUCATION.