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4.
SING PAO TOOK THE VIEW THAT THE SPEECH WOULD DISAPPOINT THOSE WHO WERE HOPING FOR A TOUGH STANCE TOWARDS CHINA OVER AMENDING THE BASIC LAW. THE WRITER WELCOMED MR. PATTEN'S EMPHASIS ON IMPROVING SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS AND EXECUTIVE-LED GOVERNMENT AND CONCLUDED WITH APPROVAL THAT THE SPEECH HAD GIVEN A CLEAR INDICATION THAT THERE WOULD BE NO MAJOR CHANGES TO THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE. QUOTE EVEN IF DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS OF LEGCO ARE APPOINTED TO EXCO, THE COUNCIL WOULD CONTINUE TO FUNCTION IN MUCH THE SAME WAY AS IT DOES NOW UNQUOTE.
5.
MING PAO'S HEADLINE NOTED THAT MR. PATTEN HAD HAD LITTLE TO SAY ABOUT DEMOCRACY. ITS MAIN COMMENTARY ARTICLE CONCLUDED THAT MR. PATTEN'S FIVE MAIN OBJECTIVES FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WERE QUOTE ALL VERY IMPORTANT UNQUOTE AND THAT QUOTE IF THEY ARE ACHIEVED HE WOULD HAVE MADE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO HONG KONG'S DEVELOPMENT UNQUOTE. THE PAPER WELCOMED MR. PATTEN'S RELAXED STYLE AND HIS PLANS TO MEET THE PRESS REGULARLY AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE. THE WRITER ALSO COMMENTED FAVOURABLY ON THE IDEA OF A GOVERNOR'S QUESTION TIME IN LEGCO. SING TAO SAID THAT MR. PATTEN'S FIVE TASKS FOR THE FUTURE INDICATED A QUOTE DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIAL NEEDS AND PUBLIC FEELINGS UNQUOTE. WRITER THOUGHT THAT THE MOST DIFFICULT TASK WOULD BE IMPROVING RELATIONS WITH CHINA AND THAT THE BEST WAY TO ACHIEVE THIS WAS TO QUOTE AVOID CONFRONTATIONS UNQUOTE.
THE
6.
THE REPORTING AND COMMENTARIES IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRESS WERE ALSO VERY POSITIVE. THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST EDITORIAL SAID THAT MR PATTEN'S SPEECH HAD MADE AN EXCELLENT IMPRESSION. THE WRITER ADDED THAT THE TEST OF MR PATTEN'S ABILITY WOULD BE WHETHER HE COULD NEGOTIATE SOLUTIONS TO THE TERRITORY'S POLITICAL PROBLEMS AND BREAK THE DEADLOCK ON THE AIRPORT WITHOUT EITHER LOSING HIS AUTHORITY OR HARMING RELATIONS WITH PEKING. IN THE SCMP'S COMMENTARY ARTICLE, FRANK CHING ARGUED THAT IN DEFENDING HONG KONG'S INTERESTS MR PATTEN SHOULD PRESS AHEAD WITH DEMOCRATIC REFORM, STRENGTHEN HONG KONG'S VOICE IN SINO-BRITISH NEGOTIATIONS AND REOPEN THE NATIONALITY ISSUE.
7. MOST PAPERS REPORTED FAVOURABLE REACTIONS TO THE SPEECH FROM POLITICAL LEADERS. CRC LEADER ALLEN LEE THOUGHT CHINA WOULD WELCOME MR PATTEN'S OPEN STYLE. UDHK SPOKESMAN MARTIN LEE AND ALBERT HO GAVE THE SPEECH A CAUTIOUS WELCOME, AS DID INDEPENDENT LEGCO MEMBER EMILY LAU. EXCO MEMBER ANDREW WONG WAS WIDELY QUOTE4D AS SAYING THAT THE SPEECH WAS AN IMPRESSIVE DEMONSTRATION OF MR PATTEN'S GRASP OF HONG KONG ISSUES. HE PARTICULARLY
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