1
py. Presentation
RESTRICTED
MAR 02/270
Coreign & Commonwealth
Office
thi
9 October 1992
1.
Сори
M
Mr Wine R
RAJ
London SW1A 2AH
Londo
Mr Clewe Government House,
Harp Kong Itu.
Dear Stephen, 2. Mirr Easter
Miss
1 pc. Try
HONG KONG: INITIAL REACTIONS TO THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH
The overall response to the Governor's 7 October speech has been positive in the British media and in Hong Kong (the speech got 75% and 80% approval ratings in the first two opinion polls published in Hong Kong). First Chinese reactions have been critical but fairly restrained.
Most British nwespapers have judged the speech a bold and imaginative plan for developing democracy within the constraints of the Basic Law; "a long shot, but a bold and imaginative one which deserves to succeed" (FT) "a brilliant, eloquent debut" (Times); "Mr Patten has done a great deal to raise Hong Kong's morale" (Telegraph). There is a widespread assumption that we will not press our demand for more directly-elected seats. Commentators have admired the ingenuity of the alternative proposals to broaden the franchise for the new functional constituencies:
several papers see this as an "indirect route to direct elections" (Guardian). There has been a cooler reaction to the Governor's proposals not to appoint Martin Lee and other liberals to ExCo. Most leaders have also made the point that much will depend on whether the Governor and Hong Kong have the stomach to stand up to a hostile Chinese reaction.
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