CONFIDENTIAL
116433
MDHIAN 99
HYPOCRITICAL UNQUOTE AND BASED ON QUOTE PAUCITY OF KNOWLEDGE UNQUOTE AND A QUOTE LACK OF POLITICAL FORTITUDE UNQUOTE. BOTH PAPERS PLAYED
UP CRITICISM OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE BY THOSE WHOM HE MET.
4. THE CHINESE MEDIA WERE EQUALLY CRITICAL INITIALLY BUT THEIR
COMMENTS BECAME MORE CONSTRUCTIVE AS THE WEEK WORE ON. THE WEEK SAW
SOME FORTY EDITORIALS IN FIFTEEN PAPERS DEVOTED TO THE VISIT.
5. THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL CHARGED HMG WITH RACISM. IT BELIEVED HMG WOULD NOT MAKE ANY CONCESSIONS ON THE NATIONALITY ISSUE FOR FEAR OF THE QUOTE WHITE UNQUOTE UK BEING TURNED INTO A QUOTE SEMI-YELLOW UNQUOTE ONE. WAH KIU YAT PO SAID THAT PEOPLE SHOULD NO LONGER HARBOUR ANY ILLUSIONS ABOUT UK'S WILLINGNESS TO HELP AND SHOU-
LD MAKE OTHER PLANS. MOST OTHER PAPERS FOLLOWED THE FAMILIAR THEME OF BRITAIN FAILING IN ITS MORAL OBLIGATION TOWARDS HONG KONG.
6. A MING PAO EDITORIAL OFFERED A DIFFERENT AND MORE POSITIVE VIEW. THE PAPER SET THE VISIT IN THE CONTEXT OF A STRATEGY AIMED AT UNDERLINING FOR CHINA THE DAMAGE WHICH EVENTS IN TIANANMEN HAD CAUSED IN HONG KONG. THIS WOULD STRENGTHEN BRITAIN'S HAND ONCE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE CHINESE HAD RESUMED.
7 SING PAO PICKED UP THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MESSAGE ON ARRIVAL, SAYING THAT DESPITE HONG KONG PEOPLE'S DISSATISFACTION WITH THE BRITISH STAND ON THE NATIONALITY ISSUE, HONG KONG AND UK SHOULD CONTINUE TO CO-OPERATE AND NOT CONFRONT EACH OTHER.
8. DESPITE THE HARSH COMMENTARY, MOST PAPERS ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S ASSURANCES ON A QUICKER PACE OF DEMOCRATISATION AND GREATER PROTECTION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. THESE, TOGETHER WITH HMG'S SUPPORT ON THE REPATRIATION OF VBP, WERE GENERALLY WELL RECEIVED. THUS WEN WEI PO NOTED WHAT WAS IMPORTANT WAS THAT BRITAIN ENSURED THE PROPER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JD, THE FORMULATION OF A GOOD BASIC LAW AND A FASTER PACE OF DEMOCRATISATION. THE PAPER ALSO URGED THAT HONG KONG ADOPT SELF-HELP MEASURES. SIMILARLY CHING PO SAID THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE RESIGNED TO NOT BEING GRANTED RIGHT OF ABODE IN UK, AND SHOULD WORK INSTEAD TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE FOR HONG KONG.
9. SING TAO TOOK A MORE NEGATIVE LINE, SAYING THAT IT WAS POINTLESS FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO PROPOSE A SEVEN POINT PLAN HAVING REJECTED HONG KONG'S PLEAS FOR RIGHT OF ABODE. TIN TIN DAILY NEWS SAID THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MESSAGE WAS TIMELY IN THAT PEOPLE WHO HAD NOT ALREADY MADE THEIR MINDS UP ON EMIGRATION COULD NOW
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