APPENDIX (1)
BARRIE WIGGHAM/AUST PAGE 9
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SYDNEY: Tuesday 27/2: 11.am: Australian Broadcasting Commission
hosted by John Highfield, international editor. Also present Richard Andrews, Radio Australia specialist in development and trade, and a senior reporter from ABC World View programme. Taped interviews with both Radio Australia and World View (this latter we discovered had been requested by Radio Hong Kong). Both covered a range of questions covering Hong Kong/ China to Vietnamese refugees and both showed some preconceived notions and lack of understanding of the Basic Law.
reaction: Obvious interest was sparked and subsequent extensive radio coverage given on both ABC national networks from interview conducted in Melbourne. It is worth writing to Highfield with thanks for his time. A clear need to be providing more background information direct to both ABC and Radio Australia as both
tend to shape much of the attitude of the more commercial media.
SYDNEY: Tuesday 27/2: 12.45.pm: Hong Kong Australia Business Association
lunch hosted by Alfred Moss, Sydney Division President (guest list available).
Formal speech (on file) with Q&A (tape on hand)
reaction: HKTDC staff report that some guests in both Sydney and Melbourne felt too much gloss was put on the positive aspects (hard to avoid in a speech) and that there should have been more time for questions (this was the Chairman's fault: he seemed anxious to close off discussion). On the basis that HKABA members are or should be better informed on current events in Hong Kong, it may be better to go straight to Q&A following a brief overview at future functions.
SYDNEY: Tuesday 27/2: 3.pm: SBS television. Jane Hutcheon, interviewer.
SBS is the government-funded ethnic television network and we had originally slotted their weekly Asia Report (on which Peter Tsao appeared) as an option. The introduction to the interview segment was unfortunate, particularly as Barrie Wiggham went to some pains to point out to both reporter and producer the error of their preconceptions. As a result (transcript available) the answers appear more as a defence than was intended.
reaction: We should avoid SBS in future unless we have had an opportunity earlier to brief the reporter/producer and to assess their stance. No damage here but the programme could have been presented in a more balanced way.
SYDNEY: Tuesday 27/2: 3.30.pm: Australian Chamber of Manufactures (NSW
Division) hosted by Bill Henderson, national chief executive. Also present, Phil Holt, Director NSW Division, and Colleen McMahon, Project Manager.
Interested in general briefing and explained their policy of concentrating on Pacific Rim and looking for joint ventures. Henderson is a long-time PacRim convert.
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Questioned the outlook for Taiwan and the situation vis-a-vis Hong Kong/Taiwan/China various questions related to Taiwan came up throughout the programme in Sydney/Canberra/Melbourne.