TNAG-1590-FCO40-2175-Appointment-of-Sir-David-Wilson-as-new-Governor-of-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 147

GRS 120

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 356

OF 28084OZ JANUARY 87

72

CONFIDENTIAL

OF

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

400/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

02 FEB 1987

PERSONAL FOR SIR D WILSON FROM ACTING GOVERNOR

MIPT: YOUR NAME

FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF REUTERS REPORT.

BEGINS

WOE TO THE MAN WHO'S GOT THE WRONG NAME

INDEX

PA

HONG KONG, JAN 27, REUTER - ONE OF SIR DAVID WILSON'S FIRST TASKS AS GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG MAY BE TO CHANGE HIS CHINESE NAME. NEWSPAPERS IN THE BRITISH COLONY HAVE URGED WILSON, WHO TAKES UP HIS POST IN APRIL, TO CHANGE THE CANTONESE TRANSLATION OF HIS NAME, WHICH RHYMES WITH +HYPROCRISY TO THE EXTENT OF BEING DANGEROUS.+ TWO OF THE CHINESE CHARACTERS IN HIS NAME ARE DESCRIBED AS +TWO

GHOSTS KNOCKING AT THE DOOR.+

THE NAME PROMPTED THE LEADING ENGLISH-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER, THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, TO PRINT AN OLD CHINESE SAYING, FEAR NOT FOR ONE'S FORTUNES BUT WOE TO THE MAN WHO'S GOT THE WRONG NAME.+ MOST PAPERS SEEM TO FAVOUR TRANSLATING WILSON'S NAME TO +WAI YI-SUN+ WHICH MEANS TO DEFEND AND PROTECT WITH FAITH AND TRUST, IN VIEW OF

THE COLONY'S RETURN TO CHINA IN 1997.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKEMAN SAID OFFICIALS WOULD CONVEY THE PUBLIC'S

VIEWS TO WILSON WHEN HE STARTS THE JOB.

WILSON WAS APPOINTED GOVERNOR AFTER THE SUDDEN DEATH OF SIR EDWARD

YOUDE IN PEKING LAST MONTH.

ENDS

AKERS-JONES

LIMITED

HD/HKD

SIR.D. WILSON

CONFIDENTIAL