UNCLASSIFIED
131446
MDLIAN 4328
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 522
OF 010953Z APRIL 93
INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, BIS NEW YORK INFO HKGO SAN FRANCISCO, UKMIS GENEVA, HKGO GENEVA
HONG KONG FUTURE: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUND-UP
PART 2 OF TWO
HONG KONG AFFAIRS ADVISERS
18. MANY PAPERS (29/30.3) PUBLISHED THE FULL LIST OF THE SECOND BATCH OF 49 HONG KONG AFFAIRS ADVISERS. MOST REPORTS NOTED THAT 3 FORMER CIVIL SERVANTS WERE ON THE LIST INCLUDING SIR DAVID AKERS- JONES: FORMER DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY - WILFRED WONG AND RETIRED CORRECTIONAL SERVICES COMMISSION CHAN WA SHEK. AMONG THE REMAINING 46 ADVISERS, 14 WERE FROM THE BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL SECTORS, 15 FROM NON-LIBERAL POLITICAL GROUPS, 11 WERE ACADEMICS AND 3 WERE PROFESSIONALS. MOST PAPERS QUOTED ZHOU NAN AS SAYING THERE WOULD A THIRD BATCH OF ADVISERS AND THAT LIBERAL GROUP MEMBERS MIGHT BE APPOINTED THEN. IT WAS ALSO REPORTED THAT FORMER BL DRAFTER, LOUISE CHA, FORMER EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR RITA FAN AND NPC LOCAL DEPUTY LEE CHAK-TIM HAD DECLINED THE INVITATION TO BECOME ADVISERS.
19. COMMENTING ON THE APPOINTMENTS, THE GOVERNOR'S SPOKESMAN, MIKE HANSON, WAS QUOTED BY SOME PAPERS AS SAYING THAT THE APPOINTMENT OF FORMER CIVIL SERVANTS AS ADVISERS WOULD CAUSE NO DIFFICULTIES TO THE GOVERNMENT. BOTH SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES AND WILFRED WONG SAID THE WOULD NOT DISCLOSE ANY CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION OF THE GOVERNMENT WHILE GIVING ADVICE TO CHINA.
20. UDHK'S MARTIN LEE CHARGED THAT CHINA WAS TRYING TO POLARISE THE COMMUNITY BY NOT APPOINTING LIBERALS TO THE BODY. MEETING POINT'S FRED LI SHARED THIS VIEW ADDING THAT THE ADVISERS COULD HARDLY REPRESENT HONG KONG PEOPLE. THE MAJORITY OF THOSE APPOINTED HOWEVER REJECTED SUCH CONTENTION AND INDICATED THAT THEY PREFERRED A SLOWER PACE OF DEMOCRACTISATION THAN ENVISAGED BY THE GOVERNOR AND HOPED THAT CHINA AND BRITAIN COULD RESUME TALKS.
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