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The item was prominently reported. The two major left-wing papers, Wen Wei Po and Ta Kung Pao, used it as the front page lead. His statement drew extensive comment from both left and right-wing papers. In one commentary, Ta Kung Pao said there was plenty of room for co-operation between Guangdong and HK on the basis of mutual benefits. In another, Wen Wei Po said Mr. Ren fully understood the feeling of HK people and he was right in asserting that HK's prospects were not pessimistic. But, for nationalistic reasons, China would not allow HK to continue as a colony under British rule after the lease expired in 1997. The papers alleged that "HK people to administer HK" was a proposition made by a local magazine and was accepted by Chinese leaders. Beijing was now taking measures to help HK maintain its prosperity and would continue to do so in the future. The New Evening Post said editorially that Guangdong leaders had reiterated that there would not be any change in China's policies. If the new Constitution and Premier Zhao's new economic plan were not good enough to stabilise confidence, more concrete evidence would emerge as time went by to put people's hearts at ease.
However, Mr. Ren's statement failed to impress the right-wing press. The Express said his remarks were empty and not convincing. People would not have faith in China's Constitution which had been re-written several times. The paper, together with Ming Pao, said HK people were very pragmatic and they would only take empty promises very lightly. Beijing should understand that the sentiment of fleeing HK was widespread here despite the fact that only a few people could actually leave this territory for good. Ming Pao said what people feared were too many restrictions, a class struggle and the transformation of HK-style prosperity to Guangzhou-style prosperity. Many were planning to quit HK. It said confidence could be built up only when there was an agreement recognised internationally to guarantee the "three unchanges" (HK's status as a free port and financial centre; social system; and lifestyle). Local people would only agree with Mr. Ren if China took concrete steps, such as signing an international treaty to guarantee HK's status.
The Financial Daily said Mr. Ren's call on HK people not to flee might represent the view of most Chinese officials. However, such a stand showed that Beijing's thinking and approach on the 1997 issue were quite different from those of Hong Kong. The paper urged China to be flexible in the diplomatic talks in order to safeguard overall interests of all parties involved. The pro-Taiwan HK Times said cynically that, while China was still begging for donations from patriotic capitalists, raising loans and issuing Government bonds to finance its modernisation programme, how could it convince people here that HK and Macau would prosper if China prospered? In many aspects China was still very backward and it would take a long time to catch up.
The SCMP also carried Mr. Ren's remarks, quoting him saying some people in HK, who were worried about the future, believed that running away was the best strategy, but this was the worst policy. Mr. Ren said people should not be so nervous; China's political situation would be more and more stable and the economy more and more
prosperous.
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