CONVIDENTIAL
IN ADDITION, SIMILAR COMMENTS APPEARED IN: CHINESE OPINION COLUMN IN HONG KONG STANDARD: FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW:
WAH KIU YAT PO: HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL: HONG KONG TIMES: NEW EVENING POST: CENTRE DAILY NEWS: TA KUNG PAO: TARGET: THE STAR.
ANNEXURE 'A' CONTAINS COPIES OF THE ENGLISH AND TRANSLATIONS OF THE
CHINESE PRESS COMMENTS.
(C) LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS: PROTESTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE FOLLOWING BODIES (THESE ARE ALL APPENDED AT ANNEXURE B):
THE CHINESE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION (WHOSE MEMBERS OWN 2,000
FACTORIES AND EMPLOY ABOUT 25 PER CENT OF THE WORKFORCE HERE).
THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES (WHOSE 1,300 MEMBERS EMPLOY SOME 60 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL INDUSTRIAL LABOUR FORCE).
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CHINESE EXECUTIVES CLUB
THE COUNCIL OF THE HONG KONG MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION
THE HONG KONG PLASTIC MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, THE CHIU ́CHAU PLASTIC MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION LTD, THE HONG KONG AND KOWLOON
PLASTIC PRODUCTS MERCHANTS UNITED ASSOCIATION
FEDERATION OF HONG KONG GARMENT MANUFACTURERS.
(D) TRADE COUNCILS AND ADVISORY COMMITTEES ALSO PROTESTED:
J
SIR Y K KAN G B E, CHAIRMAN, HONG KONG TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. CHAIRMAN OF THE EXCHANGE BANKS ASSOCIATION (WHO LET IT BE KNOWN SEPARATELY THAT HIS LETTER HAD THE SUPPORT OF THE BANK OF CHINA,
A MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION).
CHAIRMAN, HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
CHAIRMAN, AVIATION ADVISORY BOARD.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY ADVISORY BOARD.
THESE ARE ALL APPENDED AT ANNEXURE 'C'.
(E) LEGISLATIVE AND ELECTED BODIES:
THE HEUNG YEE KUK (THE ELECTED ADVISORY BODY IN THE NEW TERRITORIES REPRESENTING THE CHINESE INHABITANTS) WROTE PROTESTING TO THE FOREIGN AND COLONIAL OFFICE, STATING THAT 60,000 PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED IN THE NEW TERRITORIES FLY ANNUALLY
LONDON/HONG KONG/LONDON.
MR H CHEONG-LEEN AN ELECTED URBAN COUNCILLOR, WROTE SIMILARLY PROTESTING ON BEHALF OF THE HONG KONG CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
THE HON O.V. CHEUNG, Q.C. THE SENIOR MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SPOKE IN THE BUDGET DEBATE POINTING OUT THE DANGER TO BRITISH HOPES OF SELLING GOODS TO HONG KONG ARISING FROM THE LOCAL REACTION TO THE DECISION UNLESS IT WERE TO BE REVERSED. HE QUITE OBVIOUSLY HAD THE OVERWHELMING SUPPORT OF MEMBERS IN THE
CHAMBER WHEN HE SPOKE.
COPIES OF THESE REPRESENTATIONS AND OF THE SPEECH OF MR O V
CHEUNG Q.C. ARE IN ANNEXURE 'D'.
SUMMARY OF PUBLIC REACTION
THE ATTACHMENTS IN ANNEXURES 'A', 'B', 'C' AND 'D' AND THE QUOTATIONS ABOVE, LARGELY SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. THEY PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE PICTURE OF THE SCALE AND NATURE OF THE FEELINGS AROUSED IN THE COMMUNITY. THEY ARE INDICATIVE OF THE FORCE OF THE
REACTION THAT MAY BE EXPECTED SHOULD CATHAY'S APPEAL FAIL.
MOREOVER THE ISSUE IS LIKELY TO BE KEPT ALIVE BY THE SECRETARY
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