GRS 120
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 356
OF 28084OZ JANUARY 87
72
CONFIDENTIAL
OF
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
400/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
02 FEB 1987
PERSONAL FOR SIR D WILSON FROM ACTING GOVERNOR
MIPT: YOUR NAME
FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF REUTERS REPORT.
BEGINS
WOE TO THE MAN WHO'S GOT THE WRONG NAME
INDEX
PA
HONG KONG, JAN 27, REUTER - ONE OF SIR DAVID WILSON'S FIRST TASKS AS GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG MAY BE TO CHANGE HIS CHINESE NAME. NEWSPAPERS IN THE BRITISH COLONY HAVE URGED WILSON, WHO TAKES UP HIS POST IN APRIL, TO CHANGE THE CANTONESE TRANSLATION OF HIS NAME, WHICH RHYMES WITH +HYPROCRISY TO THE EXTENT OF BEING DANGEROUS.+ TWO OF THE CHINESE CHARACTERS IN HIS NAME ARE DESCRIBED AS +TWO
GHOSTS KNOCKING AT THE DOOR.+
THE NAME PROMPTED THE LEADING ENGLISH-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER, THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, TO PRINT AN OLD CHINESE SAYING, FEAR NOT FOR ONE'S FORTUNES BUT WOE TO THE MAN WHO'S GOT THE WRONG NAME.+ MOST PAPERS SEEM TO FAVOUR TRANSLATING WILSON'S NAME TO +WAI YI-SUN+ WHICH MEANS TO DEFEND AND PROTECT WITH FAITH AND TRUST, IN VIEW OF
THE COLONY'S RETURN TO CHINA IN 1997.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKEMAN SAID OFFICIALS WOULD CONVEY THE PUBLIC'S
VIEWS TO WILSON WHEN HE STARTS THE JOB.
WILSON WAS APPOINTED GOVERNOR AFTER THE SUDDEN DEATH OF SIR EDWARD
YOUDE IN PEKING LAST MONTH.
ENDS
AKERS-JONES
LIMITED
HD/HKD
SIR.D. WILSON
CONFIDENTIAL