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HKD 010/1
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O 5 MAY 1992
FM HONG KONG
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TO DESKBY 01100OZ FCO
INDEX
TELNO 1185
OF 010843Z MAY 92
ملا
95
150337
MDHIAN 2364
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, HKGO LONDON
83
YRTELNO 722: APPOINTMENT OF NEXT GOVERNOR: MEDIA COVERAGE AND LOCAL REACTION
SUMMARY
1. ALONG WITH THE OTHER MEDIA, THE PRO-CHINA PRESS HERE HAS GIVEN PROMINENT TREATMENT AND EXTENSIVE COVERAGE TO THE APPOINTMENT. EDITORIALS AND COMMENTARY HAVE BEEN ON THE WHOLE POSITIVE BUT THERE WERE SOME CRITICAL COLUMNS ON 30 APRIL. REACTION FROM THOSE WHO ARE CLOSE TO THE CHINESE HAS BEEN FAVOURABLE BUT SUCH PEOPLE HAVE TENDED TO ADOPT A RELATIVELY LOW PROFILE.
DETAIL
2. ON 25 APRIL, THE PRO-CHINA PAPERS GAVE PROMINENT TREATMENT TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF MR PATTEN'S APPOINTMENT. IT WAS THE LEAD STORY ON THE FRONT-PAGE OF TA KUNG PAO WHICH, TOGETHER WITH WEN WEI PO, ALSO CARRIED A SELECTED TRANSCRIPT OF MR PATTEN'S PRESS CONFERENCE. TREATMENT ON SUBSEQUENT DAYS WAS GENERALLY SIMILAR TO OTHER MEDIA, AS REPORTED IN EARLIER TELEGRAMS IN THIS SERIES.
3. EDITORIALS IN THESE PAPERS ON 25 APRIL WERE POSITIVE ON THE WHOLE. WEN WEI PO SAW THE APPOINTMENT AS SHOWING THE IMPORTANCE SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY ATTACHED TO SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS AND HONG KONG AFFAIRS. HONG KONG COMMERCIAL DAILY WELCOMED THE APPOINTMENT AND SAID IT REFLECTED THE IMPORTANCE BRITAIN ATTACHED TO HONG KONG. TIN TIN DAILY NEWS WAS FORWARD- LOOKING HOPING THAT THE NEW GOVERNOR WOULD FURTHER UNDERSTAND HONG KONG AFFAIRS, GET TO KNOW CHINA AND MAINTAIN GOOD RELATIONS WITH THE CHINESE. THE EXPRESS WAS LESS CERTAIN SAYING THAT THERE WAS BOTH SOMETHING GOOD AND SOMETHING BAD ABOUT THE APPOINTMENT.
4. ON 26 AND 27 APRIL ONLY ONE PRO-CHINA PAPER CARRIED AN EDITORIAL ON THE SUBJECT BUT ALL OTHERS FEATURED COLUMNS IN THEIR COMMENTARY SECTION. THE EDITORIAL IN TIN TIN DAILY NEWS (26 APRIL) FOCUSED ON SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS SAYING THAT MR PATTEN'S PRIORITY SHOULD BE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION. THE COLUMNS COMMENTED ON A NUMBER OF ASPECTS RELATING TO THE
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