TNAG-1372-FCO40-1818-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 165

MADE TO THE STRUCTURE OF NONA WITH REGIONAL OFFICES BEING SET UP

IN HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES. THIS APPEARS IN PART

TO BE DESIGNED TO MATCH THE GEOGRAPHICAL BASIS ON WHICH REPRESEN-

TATIVE GOVERNMENT IS EVOLVING IN HONG KONG. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN

MAJOR PERSONALITY CHANGES IN RECENT YEARS. FOLLOWING THE ARRIVAL

IN 1923 OF XU JIATUN AS DIRECTOR, MANY LONG-SERVING CANTONESE CADRES

HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY NEWLY-IMPOPTED OFFICIALS FROM THE MAINLAND.

THE NUMBER OF MAINLAND CADRES KNOWN TO BE WORKING IN HONG KONG HAS INCREASED FROM 1,076 IN 1982 TO 2.932 IN JUNE 1985.

3. NCNA'S CURRENT COVERT AND OVERT ACTIVITIES MAY BE SUMMARISED AS

FOLLOWS:

(A) DISCOURAGING THE FORMATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND WARNINGS

ABOUT DANGERS OF TOO PRAID A MOVEMENT TOWARDS REPRESENTATIVE

GOVERNMENT, ARISING FROM SUSPICION THAT THE BRITISH MAY BE SEEKING

TO PRE-EMPT THE TERMS OF THE BASIC LAW, AND IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE PRESSURE OF PUBLIC DEMAND FOR A SYSTEM WHICH THE CHINESE MIGHT FIND

DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AFTER 1997.

(3) SEEKING TO IDENTIFY AND WIN OVER PROMISING YOUNGER HONG KONG

CHINESE, BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CIVIL SERVICE WHO ARE COMPETENT

AND WELL-REGARDED LOCALLY AND WHOM THEY EXPECT TO BE IN POSITIONS

OF POWER AND INFLUENCE BY 1997. SUCH PEOPLE ARE EXTENSIVELY CULTIVATED BY THE MORE SOPHISTICATED AND IMPRESSIVE CHINESE OFFICIALS

NOW WORKING IN NONA, AND ARE ALSO INVITED TO PAY VISIT TO CHINA.

(C) CULTIVATING THE HONG KONG MEDIA AND PUBLIC IN ORDER TO NEUTRALISE

OR ISOLATE OPPOSTION AND GAIN ACCEPTANCE FOR CHINA'S POLICIES.

(D) BUILDING CONTACTS AND WINNING OVER COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS AT

THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL WITH THE APPARENT AIM OF STRENGTHENING THEIR

INFLUENCE IN THE BASES UPOON WHICH REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

IS EVOLVING.

4. THE MOST PROMINENT PERSONALITIES IN NONA ARE AS FOLLOWS:

(A) XU JIATUN. AT THE TIME OF HIS APPOINTMENT, XU JIATUN WAS A

MEMBER OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY AND

THE MOST SENIOR CHINESE OFFICIAL EVER TO HAVE BEEN STATIONED IN HONG

KONG. HE RETIRED FROM THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE AT THE RECENT PARTY

DELEGATES' CONFERENCE BUT RETAINED HIS HONG KONG POST). HE HAS

ADOPTED A MUCH HIGHER PROFILE THAN ANY OF HIS PREDECESSORS AND HAS

AT TIMES CONSCIOUSLY ENCOURAGED THE PUBLIC IN HONG KONG TO THINK

OF HIM AS A KIND OF SHADOW GOVERNOR. HE IS GENERALLY AFFABLE, TALKS

FREELY TO THE PRESS AT PUBLIC FUNCTIONS, BUT IS STILL VERY MUCH A

MAINLAND OFFICIAL AND IS SOMEWHAT HAMPERED BY HIS INABILITY TO

SPEAK EITHER CANTONESE OR ENGLISH.

SECRET

B]

Page 165Page 166