TNAG-0932-FCO40-1151-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1980 — Page 92

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The Hong Kong and Macau Work Group

According to sources from the foreign affairs organ in Peking, a central

"Hong Kong and Macau Work Group" was set up in December last year jointly

by the International Liaison Department of the CPC Central Committee, the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State Council, the Overseas Chinese

Affairs Office, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and some other departments

under the instructions of Ilua Guofeng, Ye Jianying and Deng Xiaoping. The

function of this committee is to strengthen the centralisation of leadership

and the co-ordination of command in Hong Kong and Macau.

This work group is directly under the State Council. Its members include

cadres from the Central Committec's Liaison Department, the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Trade, the Overseas Chinese Affairs

Office, the Foreign Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of National Defence and

the Intelligence Unit of the PLA General Staff.

It is alleged that in the setting up of the work group, the Director of

the International Liaison Department, Ji Pengfei; the Vice-minister of the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zhong Xidong; Vice-minister of the Ministry

of Foreign Trade, Cui Qun; the Deputy Secretary General of the State Council,

Luo Qingchang; Vice-minister of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, Lin

Xiude; the Secretary-General of the Military Commission, Geng Biao; and

military representative such as Chai Chengwen (Director of the Foreign

Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of National Defence) had attended several

preparatory meetings. It is said that the Central Committee regards the

setting up of this ad hoc committee as very important. It has called for

the full support of departments concerned and has deployed middle-aged

cadres to form a unified group in order to do a good job and fulfil the

wish of the late Chou En-lai.

/On January 8,

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