TNAG-0742-FCO40-946-Relations-between-China-and-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 14

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NC NA OFFICIAL IN HONG KONG REASSESSES POLICY

(MING PAO SPECIAL REPORT: ATROCITY' WAS WRONG")

"'OPPOSING PRITAIN AND RESISTING

(TEXT) Chi Feng, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong Branch of N CNA, delivered an important speech at a meeting held on 30 August. He talked about many issues concerning China and Hong Kong. The contents of his speech were disclosed over the past few days by some of the participants in the meeting. This was an authoritative speech delivered by a Chinese official. It thus attracted attention. The meeting, held by Hong Kong Left-wing figures, was the first meeting of the preparatory committee for the cebration of the 29th anniversary of the founding of the P R C. A total of 335 people attended.

During the meeting, Chi Feng explicitly said: the CCP Central Committee held that the 1967 movement to "oppose the British and resist atrocity" was wrong. The movement was exploited by the Lin Piao clique.

He noted: at that time, Lin Piao was aware that the work in Hong Kong and Macau was under the direction of Premier Chou and that Chairman Mao was concentrating his attention on the Great Cultural Revolution. Ein Piao thus made use of the opportunity to create this incident in an attempt to make things difficult for Premier Chou. He then expanded the incident at every step and constantly escalated the incident. He even put forward the slogan of "liberating Hong Kong". The then policy originally gave primary importance to opposing the United States. The modus operandi in Hong Kong at that time was actually to give primary importance to opposing Britain, villating the basic guiding line of Chairman Mao's world strategy. At present, we give primary importance to opposing Soviet revisionist social imperialism and have all the more reason not to oppose Britain.

At the beginning of the Sanpokong artificial flower factory incident in 1967, it was possible to settle disputes through regotiations. The Hong Kong Government also voluntarily asked us to open negotiations with it and hoped to settle disputes peacefully. However, the Hong Kong Government's request was turned down. In examining the decision to turn down the request, we now can say that it was a mistake, This is a historical lesson which is worth remembering.

Chi Feng also unequivocally admitted that the 1967 "Movement to oppose the British and resist atrocity" was wrong and that the leadership should bear responsibility for the error.

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