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045601 MDLIAN 6510!
EACH INDIVIDUAL AND COMPANY IS PREDICTING THE FUTURE, AND ON THE SUCCESS OF THAT PREDICTION DEPENDS FUTURE PROFITS.
4.
THAT IS WHY THE VIEW OF SIMON MURRAY (MY TELNO 13) MATTERS. WHEN A SHEEP THE SIZE OF THAT SLIPS QUIETLY OUT OF THE FIELD, THEN SOMETHING IMPORTANT IS AFOOT. THE RICHEST MAN IN HONG KONG IS THE MAN WITH THE LONGEST TRACK-RECORD OF GETTING IT RIGHT AND MURRAY IS HIS ENGLISH VOICE.
5. WHY HAS THIS HAPPENED QUERY. MANY IN THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY ARE INWARD-LOOKING AND ARE ACCUSTOMED TO A SOCIAL ROUND THAT RECYCLES A COMFORTABLE PATTERN OF VIEWS. THAT KALEIDOSCOPE HAS BEEN SHAKEN AND SOME OF THE RECOGNISED PUNDITS ARE ADRIFT. THEY CANNOT COPE WITH A STRATEGY WHICH SPANS THE FUTURE OF GATT, INTENTIONS OF MR.CLINTON, UK POLITICS ETC...THROUGH TO THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTING REPRESENTATIVES TO LEGCO. AS IN THE MASTRICHT DEBATE, THE PUNDITS WHO JUDGE WHETHER OR NOT THE AGREEMENTS WITH CHINA HAVE BEEN THREATENED RARELY READ THEM.
6.
THEY ARE ALSO UNUSED TO A SERIES OF STATEMENTS THAT IS CONSISTENT, CLEAR AND DESIGNED TO BE EFFECTIVE RATHER THAN POPULAR. THE MEDIA HAVE NOT BEEN ENTIRELY UNHELPFUL. THE SOMEWHAT FEARSOME PRESS CORPS, THOUGH PUZZLED AND FRUSTRATED BY THE ABSENCE OF BLOOD ON THE FLOOR, IS FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THE LINE THAT CONFIDENCE HAS GONE. AS THE STOCKMARKET SHOWS, IT PATENTLY HAS NOT. SOME EDITORIALS (THE SERIOUS UK PRESS, WALL ST.JOURNAL, SCMP) HAVE BEEN SOUND.
7. INEVITABLY, HOWEVER THE STORY HAS BE LIVENED UP TO INTEREST A UK EDITOR AND COMPETE WITH BOSNIA, SOMALIA ETC... THE ATTITUDE OF BRITISH VISITORS CALLING THROUGH THE BTC IS DISTURBING. SOME HAVE THEIR FLAK JACKETS READY. AN LCC MISSION NOW IN TOWN HAD DIFFICULTY ASSEMBLING A QUORUM. THIS IS NOT SO MUCH BECAUSE OF DISTORTION: MORE PERHAPS BECAUSE ISOLATED REPORTS ARE INTERPRETED IN THE CONTEXT OF RECESSION AND WIDESPREAD INTERNATIONAL INSTABILITY. NEW-COMERS ARE ASTONISHED BY THE CONFIDENCE OF HONG
KONG.
8. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES THE VISIT OF THE MINISTER FOR TRADE WAS PECULIARLY WELL TIMED. HE ARTICULATED THE STRATEGY CLEARLY AND CONVINCINGLY TO A SERIES OF AUDIENCES COVERING ALL THE MAJOR SECTORS, INCLUDING LEGCO. THE TRANSPARENT COMMON SENSE OF IT ALL MADE AN IMPACT THAT HAS REINFORCED THE GOVERNOR'S OWN SERIES OF SPEECHES AND STATEMENTS. BUT PERHAPS EVEN MORE THAN THAT, THE
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