1992-05-18 14:31 I C/C S O
852 845 2129 P.05
Translation of a commentary by Thing Lee on the new Governor in the HK Daily News on 15.5.92
Handline: Governor-Dezignate Chris Patten shows signs of 'favouring foreigners and slighting Chinese before taking up his post.
Since former Conservative Party chairman Chris Patten was appointed as HK's next Governor, he would say at every public function In a tone typical of politiciano that he would put HK's interests first and foremost. However, what he actually does is different from what he has pledged, fully reflecting the double-face side typical of UK politicians.
What are the major differences between appointing a British politician as HK Governor and appointing a "China expert" to the post? Chris Patten back home was seen as "a defeated rooster" and "a disappointed politician". His handling of the UK and the HK media sioce his appointment as HK Covornor has revealed that lie lies noc treated them in the same way. At his first press conference after being appointed as HK Governor, Mr Patten was asked how he would handle the situation in the face of a conflict between British and HK interests, Without much thought he said loudly that he would give HK's interests priority. While such a pledge still lingered in the ear, Mr Patten had granted an exclusive interview to an independent TV station in London, without paying any regard to a similar request that had long been put up to him by HK reporters stationed in the UK.
Mr Patten once lost his temper at the HK electronic media that were waiting for him outside his residence, saying that he would not accept any interview. Soon after that he had accepted an invitation from a London TV station talking about his fallug of boing HK's Governor.
Mr Patten had in the interview expressly vowed to work for the interests of HK people, and said that he would explain to HK people at an appropriate time whether he would put on the Covarner's ceremonial dress when he arrived in the territory. The "HK people" Mr Patten referred to were not the ethnic Chinese who constituted over 90 per oont of the population here. But rather, he was, at the most, roforring to a small number of British citizens here. Therefore, the sort of interests he would lnnk after would be the interests of expacriaces in HK. Such mentality is clearly illustrated by the way he turned down requests by local reporters outright to have interviews with him while accepting exclusive interviews by the British media with, delight.
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