UNCLASSIFIED
the α12/7
pa. Presentation
(1)
126213 MDTTAN 8323
UNCLASSIFIED
FM CANBERRA
TO TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER NFR
OF 12063OZ OCTOBER 92
INFO TELELETTER HONG KONG, PEKING
FROM: M EASTBURN
TO: HKD, FCO
COPIED TO: HONG KONG
PEKING
HONG KONG: GOVERNOR'S SPEECH: AUSTRALIAN MEDIA REACTION
1 THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG'S SPEECH TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON 7 OCTOBER HAS BEEN GIVEN WIDE, MOSTLY FACTUAL, AND GENERALLY BALANCED AND POSITIVE, IF NOT PARTICULARLY PROMINENT, COVERAGE IN MOST OF THE MAIN AUSTRALIAN DAILIES IN THE PAST FEW DAYS. MOST
RADIO AND TV NEWS BROADCASTS HAVE ALSO CARRIED BASICALLY FACTUAL
AND POSITIVE REPORTS.
2 EARLY PRESS REPORTS, EXCLUSIVELY FROM HONG KONG BASED AUSTRALIAN CORRESPONDENTS AND AGENCY SERVICES, FOCUSSED PRIMARILY ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS, DRAWING SELECTIVELY ON THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH. SOME REPORTS ALSO COVERED THE GOVERNOR'S
PROPOSALS FOR AN INCREASE IN PUBLIC EXPENDITURE. LATER REPORTING
CONCENTRATED MORE ON CRITICAL COMMENTS OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL
PROPOSALS MADE BY CHINESE OFFICIALS AND HONG KONG POLITICIANS AND BUSINESS LEADERS, BUT BALANCE WAS MAINTAINED BY COVERAGE OF WHAT ONE REPORTER DESCRIBED AS A ''PUGNACIOUS PERFORMANCE IN FRONT OF
THE LEGISLATURE'' BY THE GOVERNOR.
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3 ONLY THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (SMH) AND THE CANBERRA TIMES
(CT) HAVE SO FAR CARRIED EDITORIAL COMMENT. UNDER A HEADING, ''HONG KONG'S BALANCING ACT'' THE SMH COMMENTED THAT THE GOVERNOR ''HAD BEEN GIVEN AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT JOB AND HIS SPEECH ''WAS A REASSURING SIGN OF HIS DEXTERITY
IT CONCLUDED
THAT ''THE TEST IN BEIJING IS WHETHER OR NOT A NONE TO0 SUBTLE
POLITICAL LEADERSHIP CAN APPRECIATE THAT NONE OF MR PATTEN'S
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