3 0 OCT 1985
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
STRY
OHHH
INDEX
GRS 750
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
TEL NO 1103
OF 01020OZ NOVEMBER 85
248
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA, FCO, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES NEW YORK, BRUSSELS, WASHINGTON, GENEVA.
HKG/GT/105
OPENING OF THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BUILDING AND OF THE
1985/86 LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
*
FURTHER TO MY HKG/GT/104 OF 28.10.85, THIS TELEGRAM GIVES AN OVERALL VIEW OF REACTIONS TO THE OPENING OF THE NEW LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL SESSION.
MEDIA COVERAGE
2. THE UNVEILING CEREMONY AND OPENING OF THE NEW SESSION WERE GIVEN EXTENSIVE AND PROMINENT COVERAGE BY THE LOCAL MEDIA. THE EVENT WAS BRAODCAST LIVE ON BOTH RADIO AND TELEVISION. OVERSEAS PRESS INTEREST WAS WELL REPRESENTED BY THE 25 NEWS AGENCIES AND INTERNATIONAL PAPERS WHICH COVERED THE EVENT.
3. THE POLICY ADDRESS WAS THE FRONT PAGE LEAD OR THE BACK PAGE LEAD IN YESTERDAY'S PAPERS. MOST PAPERS, INCLUDING THE LEFT WING PRESS, HIGHLIGHTED THE GOVERNOR'S REMARK. THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD
CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR PROGRESS COMBINED WITH STABILITY''. HIS REMARKS ON THE STRUCTURE AND MACHINERY OF GOVERNMENT, PARTICULARLY THE REDRESS SYSTEM, THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY, IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE NEW . LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE ALSO PROMINENTLY COVERED. THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS WAS ALSO COVERED BY THE CHINESE NEWS SERVICE WHICH HIGHLIGHTED HIS REMARKS ON PROGRESS AND STABILITY.
PRESS COMMENTS
J
4. PRESS COMMENTS WERE GENERALLY FAVOURABLE AND POSITIVE. THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS WAS DESCRIBED BY MANY OF THE NON-COMMUNIST PAPERS AS HARMONIOUS AND STEADY. THE SCMP DESCRIBED THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS AS A CLARION CALL FOR HOUSE UNITY'' REFLECTING A STYLE OF GOVERNOR-SHIP THAT HONG KONG HAS GROWN TO RESPECT: STEADY, REALISTIC AND REASSURING. SOME PAPERS NOTED THAT WHILE THE SPEECH WAS BLAND, IT WAS NEVERTHLESS THE RIGHT POLICY APPROACH DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD. THAT HONG KONG HAD ENTERED A NEW ERA WITH THE OPENING OF THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BUILDING AND THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SESSION WITH ELECTED MEMBERS WAS NOTED BY SEVERAL PAPERS. SEVERAL PAPERS ALSO EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD COOPERATE TO WORK FOR THE WELL-BEING OF THE COMMUNITY.
CONFIDENTIAL
15.