TNAG-2446-FCO40-3562-Political-parties-in-Hong-Kong-1992 — Page 96

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 1175

OF 300415Z APRIL 92

UNCLASSIFIEDS.

нивот

Political

Расмий

кр

Spard (1)

143770

MDLIAN 2179

INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA

HONG KONG FUTURE: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUNDUP (15-28.4)

SUMMARY

THE APPOINTMENT OF THE NEW GOVERNOR RECEIVED PROMINENT COVERAGE. REACTIONS AND PRESS COMMENTS WERE GENERALLY POSITIVE.

NEW GOVERNOR

2.

WIDE COVERAGE WAS GIVEN TO MR PATTEN'S APPOINTMENT AND HIS PRESS CONFERENCE IN LONDON WITH HIGHLIGHTS ON HIS PROMISE TO SAFEGUARD HK'S FREEDOM, STABILITY AND PROSPERITY AND TO MAINTAIN SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS. THE PRIME MINISTER SAID IN A STATEMENT HE WAS VERY PLEASED THAT MR PATTEN WOULD HAVE A VITAL JOB TO DO AT A CRUCIAL TIME AND THAT IT WAS HMG'S PRIORITY TO MANAGE HK'S TRANSITION TO 1997 AND SAFEGUARD HK'S FREEDOM, STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SAID THAT THE APPOINTMENT REFLECTED THE IMPORTANCE HMG ATTACHED TO HK.

3. A STATEMENT BY THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SAID THAT CHINA HOPED THAT MR PATTEN WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JD AS WELL AS SINO-BRITISH CONSULTATION AND CO-OPERATION ON THE HK QUESTION. THE SAME WISH WAS EXPRESSED BY A VICE-DIRECTOR OF THE HK AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, CHEN ZIYING, AND NCNA HK VICE- DIRECTOR ZHANG JUNSHENG. CHINESE AMBASSADOR IN LONDON MA YUZHEN SAID THE CHINESE HAD MAINTAINED CLOSE CO-OPERATION WITH GOVERNOR LORD WILSON AND HOPED THAT MR PATTEN WOULD CO-OPERATE CLOSELY WITH THEM TO ENSURE HK'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. THIS POINT WAS REPEATED BY THE VISITING DIRECTOR THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY'S HK AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, ZHAI JIHUA 27.4).

COMMENTS ON THE APPOINTMENT BY EXCO AND LEGCO MEMBERS WERE WIDELY REPORTED. BARONESS DUNN IN A STATEMENT SAID SHE WAS PLEASED WITH THE NEWS AND SAID MR PATTEN'S DIRECT ACCESS TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN SECRETARY WOULD ENSURE HK WAS KEPT HIGH ON THE BRITISH AGENDA. MARTIN LEE SAID THE GOOD TIES MR PATTEN HAD WITH THE PRIME

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