Coverage:
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Secretary of State's Visit to HK
Press Coverage and Comments In HK Sunday, 22 April 1884
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The Secretary of State's press conference and public resation to it remained main theme of news reports in both the printed and the electronic media, although they were to some extent overshadowed by reports on yesterday's meeting between a group of Urban Councillors/DB members and the head of China's HK and Macau Office, Ji Pengfel In Peking,
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Many papers, as well as TV and radio stations, reported the coverage of and comments on Sir Geoffrey's statement by news media In Britain, China and Taiwan, Highlights of the British press coverage were also reported by the wire services. The Daily Mail said in an editorial that to Imagine continued British rule over Hong Kong after 1997 would be "pure fantasy". The Financial Times headlined its Hong Kong report: "An air of finality in HK as Howe bows to the inveriable." The Guardian's headline read: "Britain to cede HK sovereignty." Some papers quoted Labour spokesman George Robertson as saying the opposition shared the same view as the ruling Conservatives on the HK question.
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Among the papers In China, Renmin Ribao and the Hong Kong-printed Peking based China Daily both carried Sir Geoffrey's statement in their front pages. Renmin Ribao headlined its report: Sir Geoffrey says it is Impractical to expect continued British rule after 1997, and it will be wrong to think that Britain has sold out the territory. The 300- word report in China Daily said Sir Geoffrey had explained Britain's position on the HK question.
The Independent Sing Tao Jih Pao and Commercial Radio noted that the press in China did not make any reference to "an International agreement." The two China papers did not carry any comment on Sir Geoffrey's statement. But pro-China papers In Hong Kong, including Wen Wei Po, and several independent papers published extracts of local newspapers' editorial comments on the statement Wen Wel's synopsis generally selected those points which said the sovereignty issue had now been more or less settled.
In Taiwan, the official paper, Central Dally, sald any agreement reached between Peking and Britain would not be recognised by the Taiwan authorities. The China Dally headlined its front page lead story that Britain had announced that it was giving up sovereignty over HK. Another Taiwan paper read: "HK does not have a future," Coverage by the Talwan press was reported by the right-wing press here as well as some independent
papers.
On Mr Ji Pengfel's meeting with a group of Urban Councillors and DB members, the news media, including the left-wing Hong Kong Commercial Daily, said I had promised that various pro-Taiwan institutions in Hong Kong would continue to come under the protection of Hong Kong laws after 1997. Pro-Talwan press would be free to criticiza China in a constructive manner but they should not spread rumours and oppose China, Oriental Dally noted. The right-wing Kung Sheung Daily News and some other papera said Mr Ji had indicated that a third party guarantee or an International guarantee on HK was not necessary, as a joint guarantee by Britain and China should suffice. A similar report was also carried in the SCM Post, the only English paper to publish today.