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HKD 010/1
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144260
MDHIAN 2134
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FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELNO 1177
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INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, HKGO LONDON
APPOINTMENT OF NEXT GOVERNOR: MEDIA COVERAGE AND LOCAL REACTION (30 APRIL)
SUMMARY
NEWS RELATING TO THIS SUBJECT RECEIVED ROUTINE COVERAGE ON 30 APRIL. FOCUS WAS ON THE FOREIGN SECRETARY'S REMARKS. THERE WAS NO EDITORIAL BUT SOME COMMENTARY IN THE COMMUNIST PAPERS WAS CRITICAL.
DETAIL
2.
MEDIA COVERAGE ON THIS SUBJECT BECAME RATHER ROUTINE TODAY. IT WAS NO LONGER AN INDEPENDENT STORY IN SOME MAJOR PAPERS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST RAN IT TOGETHER WITH THE REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS.
3. TODAY'S FOCUS WAS THE WORKING LUNCH BETWEEN THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, MR PATTEN, MR GOODLAD AND THE GOVERNOR. THE PAPERS SAID THEY HAD DISCUSSED THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG AND THE CHANGE OF GOVERNORS. SOME PAPERS HIGHLIGHTED THE FOREIGN SECRETARY'S REMARKS THAT LORD WILSON WAS A GREAT GOVERNOR.
4.
A FEW PAPERS SAID BARONESS DUNN WAS TO MEET MR PATTEN TOMORROW. THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS SAID MARTIN LEE (UDHK CHAIRMAN) WOULD VISIT LONDON ON 18 MAY AND MIGHT SEEK A MEETING WITH MR PATTEN.
REACTION
5. MANY PAPERS RELAYED A RADIO STATION'S INTERVIEW WITH FORMER FCO MINISTER WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG FRANCIS MAUDE WHO SAID MR PATTEN WAS AN EXPERIENCED POLITICIAN AND COULD HANDLE HONG KONG AFFAIRS DIRECT WITH THE CHINESE. HE SAID MR PATTEN WAS A PERSON OF PRINCIPLE AND AN EXPERIENCED NEGOTIATOR.
6.
SOME PAPERS REPORTED HANG SENG BANK CHAIRMAN SIR Q W LEE AS SAYING THAT AFTER MR PATTEN ASSUMED OFFICE, HE WOULD HAVE TO HANDLE
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