RESTRICTED
HKD 026/13
700 199
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2786
OF 061124Z SEPTEMBER 91
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, BTC HONG KONG
140
074056
MDHIAN 1696
VISIT BY PRIME MINISTER TO CHINA AND HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE AND COMMENTS (2.9 - 6.9)
SUMMARY
- ·
1. THE PRIME MINISTER'S ACTIVITIES IN CHINA AND HONG KONG WERE ACCORDED BLANKET NEWS AND PICTORIAL COVERAGE IN THE LOCAL PRESS. WHILE HE WAS IN CHINA, FOCUS OF MEDIA ATTENTION WAS ON THE SIGNING OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING AND HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES IN CHAIN. IN HONG KONG, THE PAPERS HIGHLIGHTED WHAT THEY DESCRIBED AS THE PRIME MINISTER'S PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG AND HIS ACTIVITIES. THEY ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE PACE OF DEMOCRACY AND THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
PROBLEM. THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING SIGNING CEREMONY IN PEKING, THE PRIME MINISTER'S ARRIVAL AND HIS PRESS CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG
WERE BROADCAST LIVE BY THE LOCAL ELECTRONIC MEDIA. LEFT WING TA KUNG
PAO AND WEN WEI PO CARRIED PAGES OF ADVERTISEMENTS PLACED BY FIRMS AND GROUPS, CONGRATULATING THE PARTIES ON THE SIGNING OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.
2. THE VISIT PROMPTED ALMOST DAILY EDITORIAL COMMENTS IN ALL MAJOR LOCAL PAPERS IN THE PAST FIVE DAYS. PRESS COMMENTS SAW THE VISIT TO CHINA AS A SUCCESS. HIS VISIT IN HONG KONG WAS ALSO FAVOURABLY COMMENTED ON ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A MINORITY VIEW THAT THE PRIME MINISTER HAD NOT DONE MUCH ON HK'S VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM AND
PACE OF DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT.
CHINA VISIT
3. THE MEDIA (3.9) GAVE GOOD PLAY TO MR MAJOR'S REMARK TO REPORTERS ON BOARD A PLANE TO PEKING THAT IT WAS NOW TIME TO STOP ISOLATING PEKING AND THAT HE WOULD TALK TO CHINESE LEADERS ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SOVIET UNION AND HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES IN CHINA.
4. ON HIS ARRIVAL IN PEKING, SOME PAPERS (3.9) SAID THAT THE CHINESE HAD GIVEN MR MAJOR A GRAND RECEPTION BECAUSE HE WAS THE FIRST WESTERN HEAD OF GOVERNMENT TO VISIT CHINA SINCE THE JUNE 4 INCIDENT. HIS COURTESY CALL ON CHINESE PREMIER LI PENG AND THE BANQUET HOSTED FOR HIM BY PREMIER LI WERE PROMINENTLY REPORTED.
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