TNAG-2079-FCO40-2959-Hong-Kong-press-coverage-and-reports-1990 — Page 345

ماركة عالم الاسلامية قلم

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 836

OF 07020OZ MARCH 90

avod www.st

UNCLASSIFIED

HKB 301

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

- 7 MAR 1990

WESK OFFICER

'PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

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034055

MDLIAN 4078

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INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, UKMS GENEVA INFO ROUTINE HKGO SAN FRANCISCO HKGO CENEVA, HKGO BRUSSELS INFO ROUTINE HKGO NEW YORK

HONG KONG AGREEMENT: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUNDUP

SUMMARY

1. THE MEDIA ACCORDED GOOD AND EXTENSIVE COVERAGE TO THE LEGCO DEBATE ON THE FUTURE POLITICAL STRUCTURE AND NEWS RELATING TO THE 1991 DIRECT ELECTIONS. NEWS RELATING TO THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE ALSO RECEIVED GOOD PLAY.

LEGCO DEBATE

2. THE MEDIA REPORTED IN PROMINENT AND EXTENSIVE COVERAGE THAT MOST LEGCO MEMBERS WHO SPOKE ON A TWO-DAY DEBATE ON THE FUTURE STRUCTURE SUPPORTED SENIOR LEGCO MEMBER ALLEN LEE'S MOTION URGING THE COMMUNITY TO UNITE IN ITS EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE A SUCCESSFUL DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM. ANOTHER STRONGLY-WORDED MOTION ON THE SUBJECT PUT FORWARD BY LEGCO MEMBER JIMMY MCGREGOR WAS VOTED DOWN.

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3 A NUMBER OF PAPERS COMMENTED ON THE DEBATE AND MOST OF THEM URGED HK PEOPLE TO FACE UP TO THE REALITY AND TO MAKE THE 1991 DIRECT ELECTIONS A SUCCESS. SOME OF THE PAPERS EVEN SUGGESTED THAT IT WAS A WASTE OF TIME TO HOLD SUCH A DEBATE.

NATIONALITY

4. QUOTING SOURCES, THE HK ECONOMIC TIMES (28.2) REPORTED THAT THE AMENDMENT TO THE NATIONALITY ACT WOULD BE INTRODUCED INTO PARLIAMENT ON OR BEFORE APRIL 4. THE MEDIA (1 AND 5.3) REPORTED THAT THE FORMER CONSERVATIVE PARTY CHAIRMAN, NORMAN TEBBIT, WAS DETERMINED TO DEFEAT THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE IN PARLIAMENT. HOWEVER, SENIOR EXCO MEMBER DAME LYDIA DUNN, AFTER MEETING WITH MRS THATCHER AND HER TOP AIDES, SAID THAT SHE HAD CONFIDENCE THAT THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE WOULD BE PASSED BY PARLIAMENT. THE LOCAL MEDIA WIDELY REFLECTED REPORTS IN THAT SEVEN COUNTRIES HAD PLEDGED TO OFFER PASSPORTS TO THOUSANDS OF HK PEOPLE WHO WORKED FOR THE COUNTRIES FIRMS IN THE TERRITORY.

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