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144260
MDHIAN 2134
THE MOST THORNY ISSUE OF THE PACE OF DEMOCRATIC REFORM.
EDITORIALS
THERE WAS NO EDITORIAL ON THIS SUBJECT TODAY BUT THREE COMMUNIST PAPERS CARRIED COMMENTARY COLUMNS CRITICAL OF BRITISH INTENTIONS. AN ARTICLE IN THE HONG KONG COMMERCIAL DAILY SAID THAT MORE THAN LORD WILSON, CHRIS PATTEN WOULD BE CAPABLE OF SUPERFICIALLY STANDING UP FOR LOCAL PEOPLE'S INTERESTS WHILE ACTUALLY FIGHTING FOR THOSE OF THE BRITISH. MR PATTEN COULD ALSO RENDER LEGCO MEMBERS COMPLETELY IGNORANT. A COLUMN IN THE EXPRESS SAID THAT WE SHOULD NOT COUNT ON MR PATTEN'S GOVERNMENT TO TAKE UP HONG KONG INTERESTS WITH THE CHINESE OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. WE ONLY HOPED THAT HE COULD HELP BRING ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS TO PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOOD AS A MATTER OF URGENCY. ANOTHER COLUMN IN THE HK COMMERCIAL DAILY CALLED ON HK PEOPLE TO BE
UNITED IN FIGHTING FOR HK'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. THIS WOULD BE MORE ADVISABLE THAN PINNING HOPES ON THE BRITISH. AN ARTICLE IN WEN WEI PO SAID HAD HK PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD HISTORY WELL, THEY WOULD HAVE REALISED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING PARTICULARLY GOOD ABOUT BRITISH RULE.
FORD
YYYY
MAIN
56
.HONG KONG AGREEMENT
. (RESTRICTED)
DISTRIBUTION
56
NEWS D
PLANNERS
HKD
PUSD
FED//HD
LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT .AND MS BROOKS
RAD
PS/MR GOODLAD
SIR J COLES
MR BURNS
NNNN
2
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