TNAG-1985-FCO40-2818-Presentation-of-UK-policy-on-Hong-Kong-to-the-media-1989 — Page 46

ст

Enter +pa. (pching presentation)

Mr WW2 qui

P.3

нко

مستمست تا

Mritas BRITISH INFORMATION SERVICES

√/24/6

BIS REVIEW OF THE US MEDIA

13

19 JUNE 1989

107)

HARD SEAD EC1) ((E) for -fo

Jepla

Although developments in China continued to feature prominently, the main news focus shifted to US domestic affairs where the Supreme Court's decisions on affirmative tr action, the President's initiative on the environment and his victory on the Savings and Loan bail-out attracted ges considerable coverage and comment.

China:

344

from thos

The consensus was that as the Chinese government busied itself "perpetrating the big lie", the climate of fear

pige

continued to spread and there was growing concern and dismay 22.9 about the US-Chinese relationship. The US media was astonished that the Chinese government was trying to deny that a massacre had occurred. Pundits considered this action as "grotesque and bizarre" concluding that this propaganda was largely for home consumption and a means of reasserting political control. Conservative commentator, John McLoughlin, captured the flavour declaring that the "Beijing butchers" were pushing China into "a long dark night with the help of a big lie".

As

to the US role, the prevailing view was that US public opinion would not tolerate Bush's restraint and was already pushing Congress and the Administration to go towards economic sanctions faster than Bush would have wished. Pundits believed that the Bush strategy was now to try to step up the rhetoric while preserving as much of the substance of the relationship as possible. Hardline conservative commentators warned of the dangers of this policy urging the US to be careful not to drive the Chinese into the arms of the Soviets.

Affirmative Action:

The consensus was that the three recent decisions by the Supreme Court marked a "pull-back" on civil rights, a victory for the "Reagan Revolution", and had "shaken the civil rights movement to its foundations". The very concept of affirmative action was now being called in question. Comment divided along predictable racial and ideological lines. Liberal black columnist, Carl Rowan, denounced the decisions as "a terrible step backwards for racial justice". Hardline conservatives

845 Third Avenue, New York, N. Y, 10022, Telephone: (212) 752-8400