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A Sing Tao Wan Pao commentator said it was inevitable that treaties signed at the end of an international conflict were unequal. This was why everybody was trying to win in a war and no one wanted to pay a war indemnity. He noted that China had so far not made any proposal to Britain for abrogating the treaties. As a matter of fact, Beijing had recognised the status of both the Governor and the HK Government. Besides, a premature recovery of sovereignty would deal a heavy blow to China's modernisation. The pro-Taiwan HK Times described China's nationalistic stance on the HK issue as a decoy because communists under the Marxist doctrine would never respect nationalism. Their slogan was that all the proleteriat in the world should rise and unite. On 5 February the Express commented that Beijing should talk less about HK as it only aggravated people's anxiety.
Other_commentaries: In an editorial on 6 February apparently aimed at telling HK residents that people in China were now leading a much better life, Wen Wei Po welcomed local residents to return to mainland China for the Lunar New Year. They would have first hand experience of the country's thriving economy. Chinese people were now leading a very pleasant life and this was quite different from the sick society in the past dominated by class struggle and plagued by poverty. The paper also called on visitors to express views on China's existing policies so that improvements and reforms could be made. However, the pro-Taiwan HK Times said the steady stream of people going to China during Lunar New Year showed how important HK and Macau were to China as far as foreign exchange earnings were concerned. To deny the significance of this source of earnings to China would only do the Deng Xiaoping and Hu Yaobang clique a disservice.
Commenting on the 25th Anniversary of the Federation of HK Student Unions, Ta Kung Pao hailed a remark by the organisation's chairman that post-secondary students should show more concern about HK's future and hold firm to their stance as Chinese people. The paper said students should not shirk their responsibility to support the self-rule proposition and maintain HK's prosperity under this formula. In similar vein, Ching Po said students in HK should try to find out more about their motherland, particularly its political and economic prospects.
Interviews in left-wing papers: Also as part of their strategy, Wen Wei Po and Ta Kung Pao published more interviews with prominent figures in HK who appeared to be neutral in their political leaning. They all expressed confidence in China and supported the self-rule proposition.
The chairman of Sun Hung Kai Securities, Mr. Fung King-hei, told Ta Kung his company was confident about China's political stability and he believed HK would play a positive role in attracting foreign investment to China. The chairman of the Far East Group of Companies, Mr. Deacon Chiu, told the paper HK would benefit from closer co-operation with China. HK was part of Chinese territory and the final say on the HK question rested with China. A Chinese University lecturer, Dr. Chang Chak-yang, believed the self-rule option would be acceptable to HK people. Whatever the formula for HK's future, it would not be a condominium, a trusteeship, extension of lease, or independence, he was quoted. Wen Wei Po carried a lengthy interview with the chairman of the Chinese Muslim Cultural Fraternal Association, Mr. Tuet Wai-sin, who said the self-rule option would work to the advantage of both HK and China. He was also quoted saying an extension of British rule here would not help resolve the 1997 issue.
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