TNAG-1626-FCO40-2240-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau-1987 — Page 13

Future of HK: A Summary of Media Coverage and comments

INTRODUCTION

Period: 24.3.87

30.3.87

The initialling of the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration on the future of Macau and the announcement on the setting up of an independent survey office to collect, collate and report on public response to the forthcoming Green Paper on representative govern- ment were the two main stories during the week. The meeting between the Foreign Secretary and the Chinese Foreign Minister in Berne was noted in moderate coverage. Items relating to the Basic Law continued to feature.

COVERAGE

The agreement on Macau initialled on March 26 was given blanket coverage by the the news media. Initial reaction was generally favourable. Reservations were however expressed by the Portuguese Community over the nationality issue. Some papers made a comparison between the Sino-British agreement on HK and the Sino-Portuguese accord on Macau. It was noted that the two agreements differed at least on eight points.

It was noted that Annex I to the Sino-British agreement had stipulated that HK's capitalist system would remain unchanged for 50 years. The Sino-Portuguese version, however, did not mention the capitalist system in Macau. Also in Annex 1, the Sino- Portuguese Joint Declaration stated that the majority of the members of the Macau SAR legislature would be returned through elections while the Sino-British agreement said only that the HK SAR would be constituted through elections. The HK agreement mentioned the two international human right conventions while the Macau agreement did not. The Macau agreement had given an assurance on the protection of the interests of offsprings of the Portuguese in Macau. The HK agreement had made no reference to the interests of British offsprings in HK. The Macau agreement provided for the protecton of traditions and cultural heritage in Macau while the HK accord had no such provisions. The HK pact stated taht there would be a PLA garrison in the HK SAR while the Macau accord did not. In the Portuguese memorandum on nationality, it was stated that Portuguese passports issued in Macau would continue to be valid. Holders of such passports would have the right of abode in Portugal. In the British memorandum, it was stated that there would be a new document for the BDTCs in HK. The new document did not entitle its holders to the right of abode in UK.

釁

The announcement on March 25 of the setting up of the survey office was prominently covered. The papers quoted DCS John Chan as saying that the Governor- in-Council would be the ultimate body to assess public opinion on the subject before decisions were made on the content of the White Paper. Man Sai-cheong of the HK Affairs Society said the channels for collecting opinion should not be limited to written submissions. He suggested that a hotline service and meet-the-public sessions be organised to encourage people to speak up. Meeting Point chairman Yeung Sum said that Mr Andrew So and Mr F.K. Li was not representative enough to be appointed monitors.