The Correspondent, July 1988 by The Foreign Correspondents' Club, Hong Kong

Masters of the global

publishing game

These issues having been sold, this announcement appeaß as a mal ler of record only.

JULY I988

Crown Prince

THE CH INESE WORLD'S FI RST INDEPENDENT WEEKLY NEWSMAGAZTNE

YazhouZhoukan has surpassed its firsl-year worldwide rate base and

at the age of

(weeks, that

Daimler-Benz

SINGAPORE

)

Dominion Securities

GERMANY

Garuda

Government Information Services

INDONESIA

HONG KONG

JAPAN

Holiday Inn

Guangzhou Group

had well over

USA

MAINLAND CHINA

150,000

U.S A

HongkongBank

Hypo Bank

Johnnie Walker

HONG KONG

GERMANY

SCOTLAND

readers* in Southeas! Asia and Hong Kong. Published by

Konica

IE¡tflET'JãFEâËl

Korean

Air

Lucien Rochat SWITZERLAND

JAPAN

(Asiaweek Lim¡ted)

Marlboro

MingPao

Mitd Seven

Martell

HONG KONG

FRANCE

Time lnc.

Mitsubishi Motors

ComPanY.

Montagut FRANCE

The editors

the

.following

of Yazhou Zhoukan extend thanks (and congratulations)

for sharing their vision of a global newsweekly that's now making publishing history.

asfa

Alcatel

GI.RMANY

BELGIUM

American Express

Movado

OldPan

Omega

SWITZERLAND

SCOTLAND

SWITZERLAND

Overseas Trust Bank

Philips International NETHERLANDS

HONG KONG

AST Research

A.T. Cross

Audemars Piguet SWITZERLAND

HONG KONG

RaymondWeil

RemyMartin

Ballantines

Bank of America

Bank of New Z,r;alanù NEWZEALAND

Bayerische Vereinsbank

BAT

Brown & \ryilHamson

BNIW

Camus

Cathay Pacific

Charles Jourdan

HONG KONG

Chase

ManhtttanBank USA

Samsung Group

Shanghai Group

KOREA

MAINLAND CHINA

Baume & Mercier

GERMANY

Canadian Airlines

Rothmans

SWITZ ERLAND

GERMANY

Cheung Kong HONG KONG

Cituen Corum SWIfZ ERLAND

Rolex SWITZ ERLAND

SWITZ ERLAND

SKF

Telecom

Thai

SWEDEN

HONG KONG

THAILAND

Thomas Cook

Tianjin Group

MAINLAND CHINA

Toshiba

Llnisys

Victoria Crty

Volvo

USA

HONG KONG

SWEDEN

*Basedon36readerspercopy(April'88) YazhouZhoukan@waslaunchedonDecember4, l987withal988worldwideratebaseof38,000 That

base has now been exceeded

in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong alone. ac)1

988 As¡aweek Limited

JULY 1988 VOLUME 1 NUMBER 9

THE

CORRDSPOilITDNT CONTENTS SPECIAL REPORT: PUBLISHING Expanding

Brian Neil and conductedby The Correspondent. He gets a bottle of Bricout Brut

frontiers

Reserve champagne.

Computer technology and communication satellites have heþd the publishing industry to make a giant leap forward. Today, the same edition of a daily newspa-

CLUB NEWS TIIE FTJTURE OF HONG KONG

T6 Basic Law and the judiciary Hong Kong's chiefjustice, Sir Ti Liang Yang, spoke at the FCC last month about the draft Basic Law which, in effect, will be Hong Kong's mini-constitution when the territory's sovereignty reverts to China in

percanbeprinted and circulated in any number of places around the world the same day. This special repoft looks at three global publishing ventures controlled from three different parts of the world.

1997.

l.InternationalHeraldTribune:,, A paper for world

USATodav:

citizens

GENEALOGY

TFacing theroots back 900 years L9 FCC member Frank Ching, aHong Kongbom, American educatedjoumalist, spent several years researching the roots of his family tree. Last month, he spoke at the club

ForAmericans { ^ IU

everywheËe

3.SingTho:FromChinatowns ¡,¡

boardrooms Lz What's on the software shelf 13 to Chinese

and recounted the years of research that resulæd in the 328-page book, Ancestors -- a

work of amazing scholarship.

The advent of computer aided design (CAD) has given added impetus to the

publishing industry. Technology journalist Sheldon Reback examines the latest development in desktop publishing.

6 TheZoo

MEDIA\EDITING Style

Test

People

Ed¡tor¡ål Superv¡s¡on Publicâtions Sub-comm¡ttee:

PaulBayfield (Chaiman) Ken Ball James FonesÌer

ó01 Fu House 7 Ice House Street Central, Hong Kong

Fax: 5-8684092

Shokking Club Manager: Heinz Grabner, Club Steward: Juliâ Suen The Conespondent is published monrhly tor and on behal f The Foreign Corespondents' Club, by:

OThe Correspondent

60 I Fu House. T lce House Street, Central, Hong Kong Telephone:5-217 l2 I,5-2555?9 Fax: 5-8453556

pr¡nû¡ne Ltd

CLUB

COMMITTEES: Profess¡onal Committee - Derek Davies, Paul Bayfìeld, Wendy Hughes, PeÌerSeidlitz,S¡nanF¡sek. Enterta¡nmentCommittee-lreneO'Shea,Pererseidlitz,Paul Bayfield, RichardWagner,BobDav¡es. Membe¡sh¡pCommittee-CrahamLovell, Br¡an

Telephone:5-237 l2l Fax: 5-8453556

CORRESPONDENTS'

Telephone:5-21 l5l

- Derck Davies. ¡-¡rst V¡ce-President -Sinan F¡sek, Second V¡ce.Pres¡dent - ìrene O'Shea Correspondent Member Governors - Paul Bayfield, James Forester, Brian Jeff¡ies. Gråharn Lovel l, Kei th Mi I lcr, Rob¡ n Moyer, Peter Seidlìtz, Richard W¿gner. Journalist Member Governors - Bob Davis, Karl Wilson Associate Member Governors - Ken B alì, Wendy Hughes, F C C. Schokking, Tim Williams

Jeffr¡es. Techn¡cal Committee - Paul Bayfield, Keìth Miller, Ken Ball, Robin Moyer, F.C C

Ed¡torial OfAce

North Block

Crossword BOARD OF GOVERNORS: President

Ed¡tor P. Viswa Nathan

2 Lower Albert Road Hong Kong

23 22

StopPress

South China Morning Posl reporter Tad Stoner won the style test compiled by

THE FOREIGN

Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily those of the Foreign Corespondents' Cl ub

THE CORRESPONDENT JULY

1988

Managing Director: P, Viswa Nathan, Operat¡ons D¡rector: Debh¡e Nuttall, Advertising Manager: Johanna peat.

LEISURE Fishing on the high seas

A team of FCC members sailed away into

the South China séa last month, in search of adventure, fun... and some food. They dropped anchor off Pratas Reef. Fishing from aboard the 63-foot ketch, Rapid Transit, Charlie Smith caught the winning game-

fish, a 44 lb wahu. Fellow sailor Bruce Maxwell, meanwhile, landed a 120 lb sailfish a record catch. Enthusedbythefun and success,-the sailors have decided to make the gamefish tournament an annual event. Photo-rep ort: pp.28-29.

Printed by Jeremy Print¡ng Press, GÆ, 35 Yiu Wah Street. Ìy'anchai, Hong Kong

JULY 1988 THE CORRESPONDENT 5

THE 7OO

LETTERS

ÞY ARTHUR HACKER

The Star and the McEwen incident AS a

PUBLISHING:

photojoumalist, I congratu-

Expanding frontiers

late you on the June issue of Tft¿ Coruespondenr and Vemon Ram for his excellent survey of photojoumalism. It is an issue which I have read from coverto cover and have found both informative and enjoyable.

The article on page

THE introduction of phototypesetting industry

(Jenkins, the grand-daddy of photojournalisrn) was of particular interest to me because Graham is an old friend andbecause I feature in one of his anecdotes about the bombs and riots of the

late '60s, a period well.

( { ( U

remember

What he forgot to say, when recalling the publication in The Star of a picture of the bat-

ment was because I worked hard behind the scenes to convince others of the rightness of this

teredface andmutilated body of

point of view. As any honest information off,rcer (or director of information

inspector McEwen, was that I supported his reasons for publishing it. I had to speak to him

as the

main link

between the govemment and the press at that time, had to convey to him the feelings of revulsion felt because

by many of the inspector's colleagues at such a stark, and to them "unfeeling", publication at time of such high emotion. I did this both inmy capacity as director of the Govemment Informa-

tionServices and as afriend,and I agreed that it was in the public interest that the picture should publish.

Why Graham heard no or the govem-

more from GIS

services) knows, the biggest battles he has to fight are usually with his own colleagues or clients behind the scenes defending the freedom of the press and the free flow of public information.

Nigel Watt (T h e gra nd -dad dy of í nfo r ma hut seten yeat

on d i rec t o ts

younger than Graham)

The style debate JANE Monell (Letters, C. June '88) should either stop throwing stones or move out of her glass house. I am not, andhave never claimed tobe. afreelance PRcon-

CL-

sultant-

as she

will

discover

she takes the trouble to read the fine print, at the end of the article, more closely.

The

expression "hoist by his own petard" is a grammatically correct metaphor and was not intended as a verbatim quote

from

Shakespeare; the

prepositions åy andwith are both acceptable in this context.

The passage with which I am barely acquainted (Hamlel III.iv.) appears during a speech in which Hamlet discloses to his mother his plans to change the wording of a letter, to be delivered by Rosencrantz and Guildenstem to the King of England, in which

the King of Denmark asks that Hamlet be executed. The contents will be altered so that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

are the ones to

executed.

Hamlet admits that this would be "knavery", butadds: "

lhe sport to have the

Fot

and offset printing some decades âgo, marked a great leap forward for the publishing industry. In one quick step, the industry moved miles away from the world of linotype and dirty fingernails into the wonderful world of fine-grain quality pictures and words as well as true-to-life colours. More recently, with the advent of communication satellites, the publishing

Would Ms Morrell

equally incensed by the expression "Ask me no questions, and tell you no lies"-which has evolved from: "Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no fibs". (OliverGoldsmith: She Stoops to Conquer II) or "Those who live by the sword will die by the sword" from "All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword" (Matth ew 26 :52)? What galls is that, as far as I can ascertain, the woman is not even a member of the FCC.

I'll

Brian Neil

Private client and Institutional stockbroking

technique of satellite communications, according to Lee Huebner, publisher of the International Herald Tribune, is fairly simple.

"You simply take a glossy reproduc-

tion of the final newspaper page. Then, you tape it to a metal drum which sits inside a machine the size of a lectem. You close the cover and press a button. "The drum begins to spin, and an electronic eye scans way across the page, converting the black and white images into electronic signals which are then sent

out to a space satellite high above the Indian Ocean.

"The satellite relays

them back down again to receiving stations in Hong Kong and Singapore, which, in turn send them on to printing plants. And there the joumey

190l-1902, NEW WORLD TOWER, 16-18 QUEEN'S

TÊL:

THE CORRESPONDENT JULY

TELEX: 1988

81678

The Correspondent commissioned freelance editor VBRNON RAM to investigate the new trend and examine its future. He reports:

People living in far corners of the world can today communicate with each other like next-door neighbours. Communication satellites, which make this possible, have also opened up great new opportunities for the publishing industry.

completed at a machine which

is identical to our Muirhead

l@l

reality.

Global publishing helps expand the international community

its

cREDIT LYoNNAIS GRoUP

around the globe every morning with identical pages, has now become a

enStner Hoist u,ith his own petar."

llLøing & Cruicl<shank Seanritiæ Ltd

ldhlÃMEI,IBER or.THE

has made another great leap. Global publishing, or one newspaper printed and delivered in several cities

ROAD CENTRAL, HONG KONG 5-25'7361 (10

WLCS HX FAX:

LINES)

5-8780189

transmitting

machine in Paris, except that it's loaded with blank film which receives and records the image coming in from Europe."

THE PIONEERS: This technique, accord-

ing to

Huebner, was pioneered

the

Scandinavians, among others, in the 1950s. "Among the first to put it into practice, interestingly enough, were representatives coming from two opposite ends of

political-ideological spectrum. On the one side, the large communist newspapers in Beijing and Moscow used this technique to print Pravda, Izvestia and The People's Daily, not just in their capital cities but throughout those vast countries. And about the same time, it was the Dow Jones the

Company which used the technique to build The Wall Street Journal into a national daily newspaper in the United States.

"In

recent years, publications all

around the world have begun

to use this

communication technology. The room in which our satellite signals were first received at the Cable & Wireless Building in Hong Kong is right next door to a similar room marked Time magazine which, in tum, is right next door to the Newsweek room. The Financial Times of London has used this technology to start a continental edition in Frankfurt; and the paper is now said to be exploring the possiblility ofprinting in the United States.

"The Wall Street Journal, of course has started an Asian edition and a European edition, though they have chosen a somewhat different approach from ours. Their three editions in America, Asia and Europe are really three different newspape¡s, separately edited and highly regionalised. But they still use facsimile technology to move some of their pages and stories around the world.

"What is really happening all over the world is that electronic newspaper distribution is beginning to replace physical newspaper distribution. Satellite commu-

links are replacing trucks, trains and planes; and economic factors are driving this trend forward at an accelerated nication

What does the new technology

to?

add

Huebner says: "The new technol-

ogy, and the intemational publishing ventures which it make possible, have worked

to expand the size

the internationally

oriented community, and with it the size of

the marketplace for international publications."

JULY I 988 THE CORRESPONDENT 7

IHT - apaper for world citizens Six years after it started transmitting pages via satellite facsimile to London and Zurich,the Interational Herald Tribune,made a similar move towardsAsia. It now prints in nearly adozencentres around the world including Hong Kong and Singapore. N the hi-tech world of satellite

com-

munications, the InÍernational Herald Tribune, has always remained frontrunner.

Noted for its clear, objective and compact presentation ofnews, IHT has longenjoyed a tradition of technological innovarion. ln 1,974, it pioneered the electronic transmission of facsimile page images from one country to another with theopening of aprinting site near London. A second was opened in

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national operations. IHT's great leap to Asia came in September 1980, when it began to beam page images via satellite from Paris to Hong Kong, thus becoming the first newspaper to be simultaneously available to readers on opposite

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The following year, IHTbecame one of Europe's most advanced newspapers by installing a wholly computerised editing and typesetting system in a modem building in the Paris suburb of Neuilly, which is today the paper's administrative centre for all its inter-

MysdaPpEide

dme

world. ln 1982,IHT's Far East circulation was further increased with the opening of a printing site in Singapore. To this were added two further European facsimile locations in The Hague (1983) and Marseilles (1984). In sides of the

IZ|OL\/IO Making Cars Safer

March I 986, I HT opened its eighth site in Miami, Florida, to serve readers in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean. Today, IHT is published in Pa¡is and printed simultaneously in Paris; London; Zwich; The Hague; Hong Kong; Singapore, Marseilles, Rome, Tokyo and New York. And that list ofprinting sites is bound to increase with the demand for IHT in the intemational community.

SSC & B Lintas (Sea)Sdn. Bhd Singapore

Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong

Tlerul Publiehed With The

Leo Burnett Hong Kong

Ner YorI

Tim

ùibrn¡e

md The Wehin6on Pßr

GROWING READERSHIP: As /HT's news coverage becomes more international in scope, sodoes ils audience. By 1985, average paid circulation exceeded 168,000 copies a day in 164 countries. During 1987, IHT's centennial year, paid circulation approached the 200,000 mark.

///I's publisher, Lee Huebner, (picrure) addressing the Hong Kong chapter of the

American Chamberof Commerce in November 1987, said the paper's image had changed drastically since the'60s. "Today," Huebner said, "the paperhas changed so mucb that the majority of our readers are not Americans. But the important thing is that almost all of them, Americans and non-Americans, are truly intemationals. They are citizens of the world."

Shortly before themovetoAsia, IHT preliminary survey to ascertain whether it wouldneed to create an entirely new newspaper that wouldcatertothe special needs of did

theaudience in this continent. To Huebner's

surprise, and delight, the survey's finding was: "No,don'tdothat. What weneed here inAsia is not another regional or local newspaper. What we are lacking, as intemational professional and business people, is a daily source of news that ties us into the rest of the world. If you give us the same

newspaper that is being read in

Europe or in the Middle East, then you will be perlorming a

unique service, because then you will be a link for us to that larger world ofconcem and acOr, as one fellow put it quite directly: 'I want to read whatmy boss backin London is

tivity.

reading."' AWORLD PAPER: "And so as we planned for theAsian edition, and as we look ahead now to other new editions, we do not see

/HTas a newspaper which varies much at all from region to region. We see it as a global.newspaper which t ies people{to}ether and gives them a sense of being part of a larger whole." Huebner, who was in Hong

Kong for the launch of IHT's Asian edition a little over three years ago, vividly remembers the occasion. "I was awakened about five in the moming by a call from our editor back in Paris: he had a question about something we were putting into the

paper that day. I answered the question and went back to sleep.

"About an hour-and-a-half later, the wake-up call came from the hotel operator, and as I struggledtomyfeetto begin theday, I noticed something lying under the door of my hotel room. And sure enough, there it was: acopy of that day's HeraldTribune, the very edition I had been discussing with our editorback in Paris just an hourorso earlier. I must admit that a real thrill went up and down my spine at that moment. And I realised, too, that this was the first time in history that this had happened - that the same newspaper was printed simultaneously on opposite sides of the

world."

The rest, as we all know, is a new chapter in the history of intemational telecommunications.

Ilongkorยกg Standard. USAToday r for Americans everywhere Started as a national daily for the entire United States, USAToday is now Singapore and Hong also printed in three international centres -Zurich, to capture the expatriate American readership. Kong

LLEN

Neuharth

Local News I Coverage

is shaPing uP into

by Hongkong's top team of reporters who knows what

of a Mark Twain of instant, satellite global communi-

something catrons.

The founder-publisher of USA Today' the hottest breakfast-table item since Kellogs comflakes, is a sanitised update of Drew

makes this town tick

I The brightest

and the best in local and in-

Business I Who's who be-

had harsh words for US reporters abroad' They were, in his view, overly confronta-

djury, confronttheir

conviction." EDITING WITH OPTIMISM: In marketing terms, Neuharth has the kind of vocabulary that makes the Fuller Brush salesman sound Neanderthal. An apostle of hope rather than thecommunicator of despair, Neuharth be-

and The Independent.

Sport

and That, indeed, USATodaY does much more, in fact. Recently, the chairman of Gannett Co, which owns and publishes this new-world paper, doubled as an evangelist of sorts. After aseven-month, six-continent jetcapade on a worldwide news-gathering assignment, Neuharth, who consorted with Cuba's Fidel Castro, South Afยกica's Pieter Botha and Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew,

the news of

Exclusive reports from the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, New York Times

facts.

Ruark rolled into one. His simple credo is limited to five crisp words: "Our job is to inform."

Addressing the National Press Club in Washington, Neuharth said the new "Ugly Americans" were less than cordial in handling those heads of state who, in his opinion, had a view withoutre-

and brings you the

Pearson, Westbrook Pegler and Robert (Bob)

tional.

World

Allen Neuharth Iieves there is a way of balancing controversy without saying: "We know you're wrong." That special recipe has boosted readershipof USA Todayworldwide, being distributed now in 53 countries, including Singapore which restricts the circulation of critical foreign publications. The intemational edition of USA Today, which is satellite-published from Hong Kong, Singapore and Zurich, is very bullish in the marketplace. In the words of Stephen Marcopoto, managing director foยก the AsiaPacific region of USA Today, it is steadily carving a niche for itself, while keeping a wary eye on the challenge from Cable News Network (CNN), the electronic version of the print media. Commanding a homecircu-

features, Marcopotopoints out, USAToday presents core elements of both in crisp, easily digestible form. Its presentation style is upbeatand almost alwayspositive. Evenwhen dealing with disasters like aiยก crashes or earthquakes, Marcopoto says, "The emphasis is on the miracle of those who survived them rather than the misery of those who perished". Though aimed PrinciPallY at Americans, USAToday is nowwinning new readers among non-Americans who have either studiedin the United States orhavean interest in following thefortunesof afavourite American baseball or football team or the progress ofstocks and shares which are presented compactly and in an easily comprehensible format. Its Life column sheds inter-

lation of 5.5 million copies, USA

esting light on the rich and famous, gossip about the glitterati from the world of the arts

Today

claims readership figures of 66,000 in Europe and around 33,000 in theAsia-Pacific region. SUPPLEMENTAL READ: "For the Americans

away from home," Marcopoto says, "it is a valuable supplemental read. Its imaginative use of colour graphics and non-heavy, easyaccess news presentation make it an inviting and informative newspaper." WhileThe Wall Streel Journal has more in-depth stories and

hind the big deals plus all the latest financial news as it happe ns PLUS latest share movements.

ternational sport with the most up-to-date results.

Education I Our daily section is a must for parents, teachers and students and all concerned with this vital topic.

For Property I

Second to none in

Hongkong the new bi-lingual .property section every day.

For Jobs

MARKET.

in bi-lingual JOB-

PROPERTY

Biggest daily job

selection in Hongkong.

More variety more jobs

MARKET.

and entertainment and the basic news to keep one as well informed as he or she ought to be.

As a blue-chip exercise in global satel-

lite communication, USA Today can

also

claim some credit in having been able to raise the ante for other publications in the more competitive and imaginative use of colour graphics, particularly in thepresentation of the state of the weather around the globe.

NUMBER ONE FOR VALUE

SHELDONREBACK

What's on the software shelf

From Chinatowns to Chinese boardrooms

Just a few years ago, word processing changed the lives of people who had spent years thrashing out stories, memos and reports on typewriters. Now desktop publishing technology is changing their lives again.

Started as a service to Chinese communities in NorthAmerica over a quarter of a century ago, the overseas edition of the Chinese-lang:.rage Sing Taohas now been transformed into an English-language newspaper for Chinese and Asian immigrants the world over.

HERE is one common misconception about desktop publishing (DTP). That is, to put together amagazine "on the desktop"requires acomputer. In fact anyone with a typewriter, glue and a pair of scissors could produce something acceptable. Many magazines are produced with equipment not much more sophisticated than that. But adding a computer and assorted programs widens

NTIL recently, Chinatowns the world over were associated with the steam laundry, the chop-suey restaurant and the cobbler who made hand-stitched shoes at bargain prices. Today, thanks to advanced technology and the upwardly mobile Chinese in corpo-

the scope somewhat. Despite the factthatprograms such as PageMaker, Ventura Publisher and Ready, Set, Go! are often pointed to as examples of DTP software, they really represent only one aspoct ofpublishing: page design. Other programs are required for text entry and

ofpower, a visible and recognisable status symbol is a subscription to the intemational edition of Sing Tao, the first Asian paperto transmit its papers viasatellite to Britain, the United States, Canada and Australia, for simltaneous publication with its main edition in Hong Kong. Started as a community service over 25 years ago in the shape ofan overseas edition of the Chinese-language SingTao, for Chinese rate seats

graphics. There's really only onepackage that combines all three - the newly released Inter-

leaf Publisher, and thatretails at US$2,500 more or less.

immigrants living in North America, the publication has burgeoned in the past two years into a full-blown English-language overseas edition, entitled Sing Taolnternational.

Brainchild of Hong Kong's publishing entrepreneur and real-estate tycoon, Sally Aw

SallyAw Sian on a street in San F¡ancisco. Stopping her, the stranger asked: "What is happening in Hong Kong and what is its future?"

their homes in the West. Consequently, the overseas edition acquired a bi-lingual format

Kong-based monthly magazrne, Executive , in a recent in-

That question made her realise what this stranger, and thousands like him away

terview, is "modem, upwardly driven, firstgeneration migrants to the industrial First World."

from home, longed for: news about home in

tional, English-language edition. Thanks to the satellite telecommunications boom, typeset news and pages from Sir,g Tao's offices in Laichikok Road, Kowloon, are now transmitted in a matter of seconds to New York, SanFrancisco, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and London. "The rrtain difference," Aw says, "between our international like fhe I ntereditions and those of others tlational HeraldTribune and -USA Toda¡, -is that at each of these locations, the editors there add lwo or more extra pages of local news to give it appeal and relevance for the local Chinese community." Asked for her plans and projections in

Sian, the target audience for Sing Tao International is a new Chinese readership. This new

audience,

Aw told the Hong

THE GENESIS: The idea for the intemational edition, according toAw, came from a chance encounter in 1960 with an overseas Chinese

the language they can read and

understand

without difficulty something non-existent - adoption. This realisain the home of their tion led to the birth of the Sing Tao overseas edition. As the years rolled by, Aw was shrewd enough to realise the changlng profile, preferences and expectations of her overseas Chinese readers, most of whom had never left

and later, two years ago, came the intema-

the face of growing competition from televi-

sion and the electronic media, unflappable, and inscrutable, she said: "As pioneers who keptpace with growingtechnologyfrom hotmetal type to today's computerised space-age printing technology, wedon'tpanic. Wehave learned to be prepared to gear ourselves to changes and challenges, and then to exploit them to our advantage."

Interleaf runs only on the Macintosh II (which is itself far from inexpensive) and, like Xerox's Ventura Publisher for the PC, relies heavily on the use of style sheets. These are predesigned templates that help users make sure that their documents are consistenl throughout. For example, a user might def,ure the typeface, size and style to use for headlines in a magazine or chapter headings in a book. After that anything designated as a headline appears in the appropriate style. And changes to the style are immediately echoed throughout the publ ication. PageMaker, perhaps the best-known desktop publishing program, is available on both the Mac and PC. The latest release, version 3.00, includes style sheets as well as a hefty price rise. Still, documents can be passed between the two environments which may be an advantage in some companies. The new pricereflects what could be arepositioning of the product. AIHK$6,240 forthe PC version ($4,800 for the Mac), PageMaker is probably beyond the budget of many noncorporate users. Instead it is a professional design tool for magazines and newsletters, the type of work it is still most suited to.

Ä NEW FAD: The upward move comes as a probable result of a new fad in the USA "word publishing". Simply, this is the incorporation of basic typographic features into word processing programs. Font changes, incorporation of graphics and easy text posi-

tioning typify the new generation of word processors, and they will fill the needs of the many people whose sole aim

to produce

goodJooking reports. Microsoft Word, Word Perfect 5.0, WordStar 2000 Plus Release 3.0 and FullWrite Professional are examples of new programs that claim "DTP" capability. Desktop publishing programs with word processing features form the other side of that particular coin. These necessarily include a search and replace feature, some also have a spelling checker. Ashton-Tate's Byline is one of the inexpensive offerings. An IBMcompatible program, Byline runs, albeit slowly,evenon an XTmachine and requires neitheramousenor a special graphicsenvironment. It has only limited features, but for many reports that do not need sophisticated control it would be suitable. Newly announced at the high-end of the PC market is Legend from NBi; the program will not be available until August. NBI has been selling an integrated publishing system running on its brand-name minicomputer and has now released Legend as a standalone program for the PC environment. It needs an advanced machine; an ordinary graphics display, for example, would not be

sufficient. But then a fast machine with enhanced graphics display is essential for any serious PC-based publishing exercises. Legend includes a spelling checker with an 80,000-word dictionary and, like the new PageMaker, can also deal with spot colour.

THE

POPULÄ.R OFFERINGS: FoT aII that

choice, the lBM-compatible world remains

dominated by its two oldest contenders: Aldus PageMaker and Ventura Publisher.

At Hewlett-Packard's"Breakthrough"seminar in March Roger Gulrajani, Aldus's account manager for AsiaÆacific, said that the twoheld about50percenteach of the market. Common opinion held, he said, that Ventura was better for books, directories and documents that followed a regular format, while PageMaker was the more flexible of the two and best suited to one-off works such as brochures, flyers or publications that varied their design. The new version of PageMaker, unreleased at the time, was aimed at winning some of Ventura's market. PageMaker is also the page layout component in some hardware manufacturers'

"DTP solution". Hewlett-Packard promotes it along with a Vectra PC, LaserJet printer and ScanJet scanner, and IBM also includes it as part of its own DTP offering which, however, is not available in Hong Kong.

Where the lBM-compatible market is split, the Macintosh, which is responsible for establishing the DTP marketplace, remains very much a one-horse field. PageMaker is by far the most popular page design application and the other offerings are not readily available in Hong Kong. Ready, Set, Go! Release 4.0 and Quark Express are among the most popular offerings, both with features that, at the time they were released, PageMaker lacked. It no longerdoes. GOOD FOR GRAPHICS:

The most

significant

point about

the Macintosh market, however, is not the variety of pagedesignprograms, but the

variety of graphics programs.

With a

screen

resolution significantly higher than that ofa stan-

dardPC, theMacismore

sheldon Reback

suited to graphic applications. The continuing doubt as to the next generation of operating system software for IBMcompatibles, and its arrival date, has also contributed to the dearth of graphic software for that environment, and the plethora for the

Mac.

Many of these graphics programs are not necessary for stock market analyses although, asApple's recent television commercials have shown, they do a pretty good job u'ith sales figures. They are, however, essential for serious design work; a fact that has been recognised even in the PC world - many PC page -designprograms can read graphic files that were produced on Macintoshes. It is here, in the other programs for desktop publishing, that the Macintosh remains the clear leader. The powerful Adobe lllustrator, released in l987,hasalready been enhanced to produce Illustrator 88. Aldus's Freehand also includes many ofthe features that Illustrator lacked. For many, however, the choice of a DTP system has to cenlre on existing equipment. There are more companies that have an established IBM base than Mac and, ìf they want to produce reports with limited graphics, directory listings and analyses, software that makes use of their existing hardware does exist. For more challenging design problems, though, the Macintosh remains the most suitable solution. Shelclon Reback is a technologyjournolist He is also editor ofthe Hong Kong Jewish Chronicleand produces that and other newslettet s on a clesktop publishing system

JULY 1988 THE CORRESPONDENT 13

MEDIA\EDITING

Pne-Ser STATIoNERY

fillment" is the US spelling (50)

FOR WELL KNOWN SOFTWARE PACKAGES NOW AVAILABLE AT OUR RETAIL OUTLEÏS. (Packing: 200sheets per Pack)

How did you rate as a pedant or a copy editor?

IryINABOTTLE You can OFCHAMPERS! flrndout by reading and conecting the following articler and win a bottle of Bricout Brute2 Resewe

Chamapgne3 HE style test published in the May issue of The Correspondent attracted a total of 26 entries. They came from Hong Kong, the United States, Australia and Britain. Contestants were not all journalists; bankers, lawyers, civil servants, travel-trade executives and public relations executives also took

PEACHTREE INVOICE 028

PEACHTREE INVOICE 029

part.

One contestant who wasnotsureifheneeded a bottle of ((By

UN standards, a person who cannot write well is not illiterate; he is normal." Another drew attention to a split infinitive in Brian Neil's article (C. May. 1988) which introduced the contest. The winner of the contest is South China Morning Post rcporter, Tad Stoner (see People,p.27) and runner-up Paul Lloyd of

Bricout "Brute", pointed out:

Australia. President of the FCC, Derek Dayies, who judged the contest said that he likedthefactthat Stoner "rewrote the pieceentirely which avoided some of the stylistic infelicities which remained in Paul Lloyd's admirably subbed version", Davies also said: "Although Paul Lloyd did sub the introductory paragraphs, he missed the misspelling of publication (the only error I can spot). Tad Stoner's piece seems to be error-free, unless we're going to quibble over whilst'...Tad Stoner did better with the kilometre/ mile difÏiculty by translating the kilometres, while Paul Lloyd simply took the distance walk out. Both spotted the illogicality of an ocean 1,500 miles inland, but I think Tad Stoner dealt with the matter better; Paul Lloyd left it in to query the author; Tad Stoner spotted it was complete nonsense, but left it in on the grounds that he was confi n¡ng his corrections to grammer and usage, commenting that in real l¡fe he would drop the idiotic parâgraph com-

MBSI STATEMENT 3663

TRIAD SYSTEM

pletely."

the time of writing, I have not seen any of the entries, but I understand that more than 20 and

considerably on many aspects of English usage, and a number of the corrections which appear below will quite justifia-

Wing ON Company's Maln Store,2nd Floor, Wing On Centre, Hong Kong. Shop No. 63, 2nd Floor, Admiralty Centre, Hong Kong.

Iel:5-447795

bty be challenged; but the rules

Tel: 5-270890

1/F,Shop131 PeninsulaCentre,6TModyRd., Tsimshatsui Easl, Kowloon.

Tel: 3-689637

the winner will be the person whose corrections most closely match the ones below, and the judge's decision is final. No editor inhisrightmind would even consider publishing

hÉdÞtudrr(wnbe@Ùd

14 THE CORRESPONDENT

JULY

1988

b]I:@

not being a conoisseurss, I

were listening to the story of his

between genuines6 and ingenu-

life.

ine articals5?.

He had,

seems3o

at one

The story below is obviously fictitionala; it is, in fact, a con-

sion3a hung35

glomerate5 of extracts from stories Ihave copy-edited over the lasÉ six months and exerptsT

yan36 sound

herself from

Ban-

free. The monotonous of his voice was barely

There was greaatssexcitement in the town that day; three members of theThai royal family were paying an officiousse visit. The townpeopleóo were

awaiting their arrival with

monkeys who4o inhabited the

and

fivee

trees which centred around4r the courtyard. It was a relifl2 when he excused himself to greet a

man crew65 which includedó6

ally or generally, either of which

new group43 of customen¡.

163

was the fact that the

three cameramen and two sound recorders6?, were all dressed in twoóE piece suits with white shirts6e and ties. In other bitsTo of the worl4 TV c¡ews Eaditionally? | record interviews with celebrities, politicians and royalty wearing tattered denims72, rJVe were disappointed that

the ragged streetso pedlar trying to sell us his wares. My wife, fivê whom5r fancies herself as a bit of

we didn't have time to stay for fhe watehingTs. of the festivitys?4. At 4:30pm75 that afternoon, we cl¿imouredT6 aboard the delapidatedT? old bus that would hopefullyTs carry us on to

told him wo didn't want to buy any ragged streets

excit¡ng new adventures, and waved a fond fairwellTe to

township.

a comedian52,

aftemoon23 and sent him on his way.

Phukatet80."8r

the contest clearly stipulate that

such rubbish - and no writer in his right mind would consider submitting The object of the

it.

exercise was to test thecontest-

CORRECTIONS

miles, here it is given in (note the cor-

smells. (39) Àordes (40) tftat

rect British spelling) kilometres All

- animals

read: 2,500 kilometres. (23\ after noon (24) open-air (25) restaurateur

(26) morose, (27) dork-haired (28)

berof diversified companies. (6) past

50s

(29) talkative, (30) seens, (31)

that the customers have only just

testing their proofreading and

(1) excerpts (8) adapted (9) TakinS

copy-editing skills.

(10) publication ( I 1) delete quotation marks (12) See 80 (13) / (14) Collo-

Unless he was a Frenchman who played the horn, this should be

formed themselves into a group - this should read: a group oÍ nev, customers (44) This is definitely a QA situat¡on; earlier the town was I ,500 miles inland and in the middle of the Thai jungle - now it is at edge ofan ocean. If the authorcannot be found (and ifhe had any sense, he wouldn't be), it would be best to delete the earlier inland and in the middle of the Thai jungle (45) whiled (46) cargo (41) unloaded -"unladen" is, today, considered to be archaic in this context (48)

from the entries as, I hope, the people who entered will leam from the corections. My thanks

all those who entered -- and my congratulations to the win-

ner, whoever he or she may be.

interviews with celebrities, politicians and royalty. (73 and 74) stay to watch the festivities (7 5) 4 :30 thot afternoon - the "pm" is, of course, superfl uous ('7 6) c I ambe re d - but ahis word means "to climb (up something) awkwardly" and so it would probably be better lo say: we boarded ... (77) dilapidated (78) we hoped "hopefully" means "in a hopeful manner" and cannot be used to describe inanimate objects such as buses a

gazetteer or atlas

for the correct spelling ofthe name of

- a conglomerate generally refers to a large corporation made up of a num-

(probably both), and I have no doubt that I will leam as much

would be correct here (72) This is an actual and typical example of how the true meaning of a sentence can be completely obscured by separating a noun and its modifiers. The phrase was rewritten as:. W crews usually wear tatterecl denims when recording

('79)farewell (8O) A professional copy

able. (5) conglomeration or melange

Anyone who professes to be an infallible proofreader or copy editor is eithe¡ a fool o¡ a liar

isfrequently misused in place ofusr.r-

editor would check

are neverreferred to as "who", unless they have a name: "My dog, Rover, who was run overby abus..." (41) A contradiction in terms - surrounded is the best choice here, though ¿ncircled wou.ld be accepfable (42) rehef Ø3) There is nothing to indicate

have been received. Whatever the readers ofThe Correspondent may think of the contest and the corrections, it is most encouraging to know that so many people have shown a genuine inlerest in

by a complete list (67) sound-technicians - a sound recorder is either an instrument for recording sound, or a reliable historian or court official (68) two-peice (69) shirts, - a comma is necessary here to make it clear that only the shirts are white (70) followed

parts (71)The word "traditionally"

accident, away thetimewatchingacorgo6 my wife and mer3. The bus onra ship being unladenaT. In the back'whichrs had travelled inldrdró, ground;theocean was ashim-

so, whilstre we waited20 for bustobe repaired,whichapparently would take more than hours2r we walked about three

man (65) crew, (66) comprised - "included" should never be used when

dicsernable3T above the noisome38 chatter of thehoards3e of

Phukhatetr2 quite by

was shortly

wouldn't know the difference

street-pedlar (51) who (52) comedienne (53) stalls (54) objets d'art should be in italics (55) connoisseur (56) imitation or fake (57) arricles (58) grear (59) official (60) townspeople (61) bated (62) Literally, a TV station cannot filman evenfi a leam from a localTV sr¿rirn would statisfy a fastidious editor (63) me (64) five-

baitedór breath; and a local TV stationó2 was filming the event. What amazed my wife

, After lunch we wandered *rrWe arrived in down to the docksa and wiledas

was packed with stall53 offering a variety of antiques and objects d'afts54. I didn't buy anything -

fifty's28; he was also very talkativeÐ and it wasn't long before we

time been afamous French hom3l player and was32 married to a Thai woman who33 in a fÏt of depres-

adoptedE ftom Keep Talkinge The Tabloids! The town in the story is non-existent; and the only clue I offer is that the story is to appear in a publiciationro which adheres strictly to British spelling and usage.

the marketplace which

anomalies, inconsistencies and ambiguities.

personal opinions vary

HffiffiË'H"

town, so we decided to have lunch at an open2a air restaurant, The restauranteur2s was a morose26 da¡k haired2T man in his late

Then we strolled back to

efrors,

BRIANNEIL

. . .

Davies to check against the entnes.

ants' ability to spot spelling

were jud ged

OUSE STYLES

entry

corrected version, a copy of which has been given to Derek

kilometers22into the

How the entries

Retail Outlets

if your

comes closest to Brian Neil's

when we reached the centre of

(l)

article; (2) Brut (3) Champagne

(4) fictitious is more suitable here than fi c tío na I, thougb both are accept-

quially, "on" is usually acceptable, but in is better written English (15) (17) See 22 (18) See 44 (19) while has tended to

which we had (16)

See 44

replace the more archaic "whilst", though the latter is still sometimes used (20) "we waited" implies that the couple stayed by the bus; while the hus was being repaired would be a more suitabfe phrase (21)five hours, (22\ ln l'7, dis(ance was given in

measurements should be consistent throughout a text and, as the trend today is "to go metric", l7 should

French-horn. A professional copy editor would mark this "QA" (query author), to be on the safe side (32) had heen - she is now dead (33) who, (34)

depression, (35) hadhanged -rneaf and pictures are "hung", people are

"hanged" (36) banyan

names of trees, plants, etc are not capped unless a proper noun is part of the name (37)

discernahle - discernible is also cor-

(38) nolsy - "noisome" means harmful or noxious, usually of

rect

afternoon (49) fulfilment

- "ful-

the town - "Phukhatet" or "Phukatet"; if the name does not appear, it is an-

other QA

situation. If

the author

cannot be contacted, the most sensible way out is to delete the name altogether and justreferto "the town" (8 I ) Delete quotation marks

Reference works used in (his exercise include:

Collins English Dictionary;

Associated

ress

The

Stylebook;

Fowler's Modern English Usage; Copy-editing, The Camhridge Handbook; Keep Taking the TabIoirls!.

My sincere thanks go to

Christine

Swates, publishing director of UEA Press Limited, without whose invaluable and expert advice this exercise would have been much easier to compile, but would have been much less accurate.

JULY 1988 THE CORRESPONDENT 15

CLUB NEWS

CLUB NEWS tive act, in fact, is much wider than an act of state.

The second point that may be made is that the Basic Law should provide in clear

THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG

Basic Law and the

terms that Hong Kong SAR courts have jurisdiction over the organs and authorities of

judiciary

Sir Ti Liang Yang, who was appointed chief justice of Hong Kong earlier this year, addressed an FCC professional luncheon on June 9. His speech centred on the hottest current topic in Hong Kong - the Basic Law that lays down the rules by which Hong Kong will be administered when it becomes a Special Administrative Region of China in l99l . 7Tt HE Draft Basic Law is a complicated I document. When we look at the Basic I Lu*, we have always to remenrber a cardinal rule of interpretation of statutes. That is, when one engages himself in the interpretation of a specific part of the law he must, of course, also take into consideration the spiritof the whole. In considering the statute, no section or sub-section must be read in isolation, it has to be examined in the context of all other sections. This is not only the law, it is also common sense. I have no reason to believe that lawyers in Beijing would adopt'a different rule of interpretation.

Following this rule of interpretation, of the Draft Basic Law should re-

the reader

member that the whole spirit of that law is that of one country and two systems. Everything

else follows

from this concept. More par-

considering aparticular provi-

ticularly,

sion, whether it be on commerce, the executive autborities, external affairs or education, one musthave regardto the otherparts. For the casual reader, he should at least read any

particular part of the Draft together with Chapter l, which is on general principles. For our purpose now, we need only remind ourselves ofArticles 4, 8, and l0 in Chapter

systems and policies shall not be practised in the Hong Kong

Article 4 reads: Socialist

SpecialAdministrative Region and the exisr ing capitalist system and way of life shall not be changedfor50years.

Article 8 provides for

the preservation of our

laws with some obvious exceptions. the policies and systems of the Hong Kong SAR shall be based

Article 10 provides that

the Basic Law and no legislation shall contravene the Basic Law. These are the general principles. Now

before going into greater detail, may I just few preliminary observations? do not think it appropriate to place Section 4, which is on Judicial Organs, under

make

16 THE CORRESPONDENT

JULY

1988

the general heading of Political Structure. It is important to stress the difference between judiciary and politics. Other than that, Section 4 on Judicial Organs is fine - except for Note 7 which I do not think has any legal effect. Note 7 places all levels ofregistrars in the Supreme

Court within the category of

"public servants". According

degree of autonomy of the Hong Kong SAR, shall be apptied locally by the government of

Hong Kong SAR by way of promulgation or

legislation

make on

a judicial office includes registrars who- have judicial as well as administrative duties. It is hoped that this enor will be cor-

national

rected.

KEY ARTICLES: I now come to the I am concemed with in this address, namelyArticles 16, 17, 18, 169 and

five Articles 170.

Article

16 envisages the situation where a law of the SAR may beconsidered by the Standing Committee of the NPC to be not in conformity with the Basic Law. Now, for the NPC to come to such a view, that our law is not in conformity with the Basic Law, I think the Standing Committee will have considered the provisions in Chapter I on General Principles, and inparticularArticles 4, 8, and 10. There is an altemative arrangement which suggested in the Draft (on page 92). And this altemative is for the Final Court of Appeal to

consider the question whether or not one of our laws is in conformity with the Basic Law. I am in favour of adopting this altemative as a procedure which shoutd be available side by side, not in substilution but side by side, with the arrangement provided for in the main text.

Article

17 is on the enactment of laws. The third paragraph of it reads:

"Laws, enacted by the National

People's Congress or its Standing Commit tee, which relate to defence and foreign affairs as well as other laws which give expression to national unity and territorial integrity and which, in accordance with theprovisionsof this Law, are outside the limits of the high

on the

directives of the State

Council, whenever there is the need to apply any of such laws in the Region." There are three points I would like to-

to the Judicial Services Commission Ordinance -- that is, our

law

Chief Justice Sir Ti

thisArticle:

Firstly, the phrase "expression

unity

and territorial integrity" is loose and vague, and is best left out. Secondly, the altemative to the main text, which isalso onpage 92, doesnotrefer to "expression to national unity and territorial integrity". The relevantportion of the suggested altemative reads: "Laws enacted by the National People's Congress orits Standing Committee shall not apply in the Hong Kong SAR except for those relating to defence and foreign affai¡s and other matters which, according to the provisions of this Law, are outside the limits of the high degree of autonomy of the Hong Kong Special Administrative

Region."

Thirdly, Article 17 provides for the application of laws enacted in Beijing either by wayofpromulgation or legislation. Ithink

should be done by legislation and not by promulgation.

third paragraph of Atticle 18, Hong Kong SAR courts shall have no jurisdiction over "cases relating to"defence

Article 18. By

the

and foreign affairs, and "cases relating to the

executive act ofl' the Central Government. Also by the same paragraph, Hong Kong SAR courts shall seek the advice of the chief executive whenever "questions" conceming the above three matters arise in any legal proceedlng. The first point to be made on Article 18 is one of definition. I1 is not clear what an "executive act" means; and whether it is the same as an act of state. The terminology "act of state" or "fact of state" is of course clearly defined in our law. If by an executive act is meant an actof statethen no problem of interpretation arises. But I suspectthat an execu-

function and composition of this committee is of vital importance but it is not a matter that I intend to dwell on now for it is an issue that requires further study. One thing to be noted in thisconnection, however, is tlredelayor long

adjoumment

a hearing that might be

the People's Republic of China and their staff.

caused by such consultation.

So that would put beyond any doubt that members of the Chinese Govemment stationed in Hong Kong are subject to our laws like everybody else. The third point relates to the use of the

However, the alternative suggested on page 103 appeals to me. It suggested altemative proposes that:

words "cases" and "questions" in the third paragraph. This article confers a general jursidiction on the SAR courts save as regards "cases" relating to foreign affairs, defence and certain executive acts of the Central Govemment. Inthose"cases", the courts are required to seek and to be bound by a certificate of the chiefexecutive. The word "cases" is, however, too wide and goes beyond the re-

strictions permitted under the present legal system in Hong Kong on the jurisdiction of the courts. The reason is that matters relating to foreign affairs and defence are notnecessarily the whole content of a particular case, but may just be one issue amongst

number in

aparticularcase. At present,the Hong Kong courts may consider cases involving foreign and defence affairs, provided that they consult the executive on questions relating to acts of state and

facts

of state. The Draft,

however, precludes Hong Kong SAR courts from considering in the first instance any case

involving foreign and defence affairs, and thus imposes more restrictions on the jurisdiction of the courts in Hong Kong than permitted under the concept of "acts of state or facts of state".

Article 169 deals with the final or

most authoritative interpretation ofthe Basic Law by theNPC.

Itis, inmy view,themostcrucial

Article. The operation of

"Regarding the provisions which are within the limits of the autonomy of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Standing Committee of the NPC will grant full power to the coufis of the Region to interpret them when adjudicating cases." So you have a situation where Hong Kong courts will have the jurisdiction, have the right to give final authoritativeinterpretation of the Basic Law and this right is given to the courts by the NPC. This suggestion, in my view, is in line with the common law system, and does not detract from China's exercise of sovereignty overthe SAR. To complete the analysis ofArticle I 69, Ishouldalso referto the thirdparagraph. This paragraphenvisages a situation where acase "involves" an interpretation of the Basic Law. A case may, strictly speaking, "involve" an interpretation when an interpretation has already been given in a previous case or by the Standing Committee of the NPC. In such a case no new interpretation is required. It may, therefore, be better to substitute tbe word "requires" for "involves" so that they will deal with a situation where a case "re-

quires" an interpretation of the Basic Law. Finally, Article 170, which provides that the power of amendment of the Basic Law is vested in the NPC. Here again, the danger of whimsical or unreasonable amendment is reduced to aminimum, for the same

when we discussed Ar-

the Basic Law depends almost entirely on its interpretation. It

Íeasons as those given

istobe noted thatthe arrangement stipulated underthisArticle is one that is unknown in

any amendment which contravenes the estab-

our present legal system. However, because China is the sovereign power, it cannot be denied that the ultimate control over so important a matter should be in the hands of the Standing Committee of the NPC. By analysing the stipulations in the Draft, one could say that the danger of whimsical or unreasonable interpretation is reduced to a minimum and for these reasons: -First, the spirit of one country two systems has to beapplied. Nodoubtthesignificance of "two systems" will not be overlooked by those interpreting the Basic Law. Secondly, an interpretation has to be given in the context of Articles 4, 8 and 10. Thirdly, the Standing Committee of the NPC is obliged to consult the Committee for the Basic Law which will be set up. The

ticle 169. Additionally, this Article prohibits lished basic policies of the nation regarding Hong Kong. The basic policies are, ofcourse, stated in both the Basic Law and the Joint Declaration. used,

Purely by considering the language this is my interpretation of the various

Articles of the Draft. ENGLISH vs CHINESE: Now, a word or two about the language in which the Basic Law is to be enacted. It is said the law will be enacted in the Chinese language only. Whatever the reason, in principle, for this is, the courts in HongKongfor many yearsafter 1997 will continue to make extensive use of English in couf proceedings, presided over by a large numberof expatriate magistrates and judges. In such circumstances it is imperative to have

an English authoritative version enjoying

equal status and authority with the Chinese version. I do notsee any non-Chinese speaking judge being able or willing to work on the English translation of the Basic Law-both the Chinese and English versions must be original. Perhaps, one way to resolve the problem is for the Hong Kong legislature to enact the English version having equal status and authority as the Chinese version enacted in Beijing.

QUESTION: Can you give us your understanding of what sections of the Chinese Constitutionwill apply in Hong Kong?

YANG: I don't know. I'm sorry. I haven't really done anyresearch intothat aspectof it. I've just simply concentrated on the Basic Law. QUESTION: Because you put a lot of emphasis on the general principles of the Basic

I wonder ifyou would give equal emphasis îo the general principles of the Chinese

Low,

Consfitution. Wouldn't the Chinese Constitution override the Basic Law in terms of importance?

YANG: This depends on the way you interpret Section 31 in the Constitution. Section 3l says where you set up a special region and then special rules will apply. Now I personally have always been a little unhappy aboutSection 3l becauseltake the view that if you apply the normal rule of interpretation you would say that, even though it is aspecial region applyingdifferentrules, it still has to come within the main Constitution. On the other hand though, it doesn't look as if, say. Article 3l is to be amended to suit the Hong Kong situation. So you can arguably say that on the strict rule of interpretation al I that is stated in the general principles of the Constitution ought to be read with the Basic Law. But all that I know is that we have an assurance from Beijing that this is not so. But as I say, I am not tenibly happy about Article 3 1. To put everything beyond any possible doubt, Article 3l ought to be amended to suit the Hong Kong situation and say that any law made under the Special

Administrative Region should not be read togetber with the Constitution as a whole. That would be the ideal solution. QUESTION: Is it only ideal or is it essential the Basic Law tobe acceptable?

for

YANG: If you ask a pure lawyer, me, I would have to say, that it is essential. QUESTION: From a layman's point of view, what you have offered us today is an article of faith, an article offaith that the intent will he

JULY 1988 THE CORRESPONDENT 17

CLUB NEV/S

CLUB NEV/S and they were distant cousins and they were very close friends. They used to go around together and everybody thought of them as couslns. So, when my mother decided to marry my fatheq her family got very upset. They was felt that everybody would think that

incest. And when my mother married my father, her father put an announcement in the newspapers disowning her, saying that she was no longer his daughter and saying that he was doing this upon the directions of his father. My mother is still living in New York, she's 7l years old. She's still clearly very unhappy about the way herfamily treated her when she got married. Not only her parents disowned her, but her brother also refused to have anything to do withher. Hermotherwas the only one who kept contact with her. And whenever she went back to visit her mother, her brother would leave the house and move into a hotel so that he wouldn't be tainted by being associated with her. The family moved to the United States in bits and pieces,starting lul,1949. Ididn'tgo until after my father's death in 1959. I went

following year. In the United States, I was even more distant from whatever family members existed in China. I knew that I had relatives in China, but I didn't know anything about them. It was not possible for me to visit Chinauntil the 1970s when Chinastarted to open its door a crack to the outside world. After Kissinger's and Nixon's visits in 1971 and 1972,I attempted to visit China with no the

success.

SHÀNGHAI REVISITED: ln 1973,I retumed to Hong Kong and went to China Travel Service and told them that I was a Hong Kong compatriot, since I was bom in Hong Kong; and since Hong Kong is part of China, one shouldn't need a visa to move from one part of China to another part of China. They took some time to contemplate this proposal. They finally got permission from the Foreign Ministry to allow me to visit but they said that I could not go north of Shanghai because the relatives I said I wanted to visit were in Shanghai. Solgotto Shanghai and the only

I found there was my mother's brother. He had become a very different relative

person. He wanted very much to see his sister again. He asked me to ask my mother to go to Shanghai; but my mother refused. He died in r975. With his death, my only link with my

family in China was severed. But then my half-sister Margaret, who

was living in Taiwan, gave me the name and address of a man in Shanghai who, she said, would know the whereabouts of my half-brothers. SoI wrote tohim. Thiswasin early 1975. And I waited and waited but

20 THE CORRESPONDENT JULY 1988

never got

And I didn't want to write anothe¡ book like that about what it's like to work in China and to draw insights from one's briefperiod as a

response.

In t9'16, as you all know, a number of things happened in China. Zhou Enlai died at the beginning of the year, Mao died in the middle of the year, then in September, the Gang of Four was arrested, and the entire political scene changed. Right after that, I got a letter from Shanghai. It was from the widow of the man I had written to. And she said that they had received my letter written in 1975 but because of the political situation it was not possible for them to write back to me and she explained that herhusband was dead and that she had no news of my half-b¡others. But she asked that whenever I was in Shanghai I

reporter in China.

So for two years I coúesponded with my agent and discussed various ideas on my had written to me in 1976' She had seen p, ople's Daily atdknew I was in nutn" in tft.

Beijing, So she w She

resultoffouryears ofresearch and writing

try.

time before that.

QUESTION: The rice-paper book with the it, had that heen kept up by generation as it had gone on, or had one person compiled the whole thing? How did that

family tree on

THE KEYTOTHE PAST: The next thing that happened was that my half-sister Margaret decidedto move fromTaiwan toAustralia and I went 1o Taiwan to say goodbye to her. We had dinner, and afterwards she went to the back of her house and came back with a plas-

in which were several books.

come to be?

CHING: It tumed out later on that that was the one volume of a l7-volume set of the last edition of the family genealogy which came out in 1930. I did not get the entire set until much later. And the edition before that came out in 1873. I found that in the East Asian Library at Columbia University. That had my grandfather's name in it...so, it was not done by one person. It was something done by the clan as an institution. It was updated roughly every 80 years.

She

thrust them at me and said: "Here, take them. I've kept them for a long time and it's time they went to a son."

These were books that were in my

father's possession when he died in 1959; and she had kept them for 20 years without my knowing of their existence. Two of them were records of theRepublican Govemment in China; and because my father was a member of the NationalAssembly, his photograph and his nameappeared inthosebooks. I guess that's why Margaret had kept them. The third volume was the one that was most interesting and significant. It was an old Chinese book printed on thin ricepaper with an inscription on the cover that said that this was the genealogy of the Qin Clan ofWuxi. I

tumedthepages overand

A LETTER FROM SHANGHAI: In 1979 when the United States and China normalised dip-

lomatic relations, I went to China to cover normalisation. Deng Xiaoping met all the reporters. There were so many of us. Each ofusgot to ask one question. Thefollowing day, the entire transcriptofthe meeting with

as the experience of

your own family

is con-

cerned?

CHING: It actually continued in China for a long time after 1949. Our clan operated a clan school in Wuxi which the govemment

to be buried there. The main route to upward mobility was the examination system. Throughout the

think there were 16of the

clan's children going toschool atthattime. If they had to go to a government school, they would have to pay tuition. So the government agreedto give l6 scholarsbipsto the clan. The clan as an institution existed until the Cultural

a literary Th"n I received a letter from if a*edwho York asent inÑ;; I :::*::;ËJi-,,#-eäïàãt on ct'i"" I Yi111l':;

r** *h'! Jl19 :l ::i::'ïÏ i'äfá"'öi' time.a that ur I)t't'K to'*.i-". tu wtt'v' sY ffi; "tT!:t'E .nawithmehadleft to gon: had who people 91..,-i,ovne¡iences *P:li:l::; ffifi . ffi ; ãoi.'ãuou "t''if the ew,York or ä;ää;n;iJ i'l""iïJl' ú:'\I':!; otu rsr n'i'u"1 tmes. tJrtua itÁoäÎíö "'--i,ili.' '

avoidance in China at that time, no official was allowed to work inhis hometown orhis home provinceto avoidconflicts of interests. So all the people I wrote about were people who either worked in the capital, in Peking, or who

worked inotherparts of the country as provincial or local officials. They were not people who worked in their home town, but they all retired orreturned toWuxi to die and

government.

nal. "-"

CHING: When I was writing this book, I had to pick people to write about for whom there was enough information in existence so that they would be more than cardboard characten. And people on whom there is information tend to be govemment officials or who were scholars who hadleft writings behind. In fact the two tended to be the same. That is, when you were in retirement they were schola¡s and when they were not in retirement they were officials. So almost all the people I wrote about werepeople who hadheld official positions. And because of what is known as the law of

QUESTION: This clan organisation, is it revíving at all inChína?

borrowed and the clan negotiated with the

found out thatit

traced the family, generation bygeneration, back to the I I th Century, back to a poet, in the Song Dynasty, called Qin Guan. So from aposition ofnotknowing anything about my family otherthanmy parents, all of a sudden I had the names of all of my ancestors on my father's side and my mother's side, going back 33 generations on one side and 34 generations on the other side. All this bookconsists of really are lists of names, that ischarts showing who was descendedfrom whom. There was no information on the individuals other than the poet. With this book I was able to do some serious research into the family.

QUESTION: Can you say something about socialmobility in pre-modern China as far

full time plus, several years of research part

should visit hér.

tic bag

China books until finally it dawned on me I'm not very quick on the uptake - that what I ought todo wasto use my personal project as the China book and to write a family history and to use that to illustrate Chinese history. What you see before you today is the

Revolution in 1966. There arenosigns of the govemment officially sanctioning tbe revival ofclans as an institution, although there have been periodic rumours of ancestral halls being given back to clans. It basn't happened yet. The ancestral hall in Wuxi that used to belong to our clan is now home to about 12 families.

ages, untilthe l9thcentury, it was veryimportant for people to take and to pass the

civil

service examinations; and there were many different levels. It often took people many, many years to get to the highest level and, of course, many people never made it. There are people who kept taking the exams

until they were 70 years old and still did not pass. And only families who had sufficient financial resources could afford to let their sons study and take these exams and once a son passed these exams, the entire family in effect was taken care of.

QUESTION: Do you draw any general conclusions at the end? For instance, what is the durability, what are the ruptures, is there an idea of progress? Oneofthe cliches about 'Westem and Chinese civilisations is that in Chinese civilisation there is no idea of progress or real change is that expressed in your book?

CHING: I think if you read the book, the feeling you get will be one of continuity rather than one of change or progress. Traditionally in China, the ideal was always that one had fallen from a state of grace. It's almost like Christianity. That which existed in the past was ideal and perfect, and one should always try to achieve what one's ancestors had. Whereas in the West, of course, there was the idea of improving with time and gradually developing things that did

notexistinthe past. In China, largely because of Confuscian philosophy, I think, the dominant impression one gets from the resea¡chintothis book is thefeeling ofcontinuity. I was very surprised, for instance, to discover a peasant family thathad been taking care ofone of my ancestor's graves since he died in I 604. They were given a piece of land and the responsibility was for them to take care of the grave and they took care of it from the lTth century until the Cultural Revolution. I met one of the members in the 1980s and she was very apologetic that they were no longerabletodothis. She said they dideverything they could until the Cultural Revolu-

tion.

I think the dominant

impression

one gets is that ofcontinuityratherthanof change.

Copies of Ançestors autographed by Frank Ching can be ordered from the FCC at $ 130 each.

ington Post

u"!

L.?t

tgeleS TimeS and

Call: Julia (5-211511)

!:, r;^o masazne,. ääi;¿näJöin,'r'tn or rine rnusazn' JULY 1988 THE CORRESPONDENT 2 I

PrË))

EOPLE IS a little less mirth around the Yantze tables in the lower bar these days. It is not that the members have lost their taste for Yanlze, that heart-quickening Eastem form of poker, played with dice. It is that they miss Eddie Tseng, a former stalwart of the table, who is ill in hospital in Tai-

THE wonders ofnew technology

wan.

computer of Ian McCrone, a formermember ofthe FCC. He performs a little editing magic on

THERE

will never

in this region for a magazine called C'est Bor, published by FCC member C.P. Ho, are snaking down intemational telephone cables to an off-the-beaten-track home in a sparsely populated region of New Zealand.

There they run into

Tseng, board chairman of Taìwan's Central News Agency,

andFCCpresident during 1968 and again during 1984-85, was recently diagnosed - as he was about to leave on a trip to Singapore andlstanbul - to havean incurable and inoperable form of

theKMT". Not surprisingly considering his popularity, Tseng has also had streams of friends and well-

wishers, all bearing flowers. "My room is like a flower shop," he wrote.

Until

of the different

time

Without your Yantze money,

I'll miss Your whinging and groaning, The Nabis and Syme Winders, All that bitching and moaning. T hou gh p e ac eful wi t hout

you,

It's not quite the same, For you always added That nuisance value to the game.

I have no-one to kick around And call him a bloody Chink, Or he called af**ing Indian, Before I order another drink. Tseng's Yantze companions also senthim the latest score card as a memento.

22 THE CORRESPONDENT JULY

1988

Hahn ffi'onr ) with Bary Wain, managin g edito r of The Asian Wall Street Journal and Graham Jenkins, formerly of Reuters and founder of The Star. Above: McCron e (centre) with (L to R) FCC president, Derek Davies; Irmgard, wife of former BBC correspondentAnthony Lawrence; C.P. Ho, publisherof C'est Bon; freelance journalist Nancy Nash; China affairs editor of theSouth Chína Morning PostDavidChen; Anthony

Top :

Lawrence ; an d, editor-in -chief of luncheon hosted by Ho.

xtile A s ia, Ka iser Sun g at a

of sold the house on Conduit Road, the currentmembers were born- we went broke. The club had hejoined in 1957. Bom in Scot- about 90 dependents, and ir was land, his family moved to New the fact that we wanted to look Zealand when he was a child. after them that we went broke. Among his toughest early assignIn 1966, McCrone was disments as a reporter was to cover patched to the Reuters head office the Korean war for Reuters and in Fleet Street, London, but he theAustralianAssociatedPress. describesitasapenance. "I was club way back before some

FCC

At the time ofjoiningthe sent there for six months, and in the 1950s, he was rhe fulfilledthattothe day," hesays.

Reuters bureau chief in Hong Back in his beloved Asia, Kong as well as the AAP man in McCrone became area news-

which became

B usiness P

RC, and

recently launched C'est Bon fnagazrne.

"He had been on to me to stringforhimfor C'est Bon and other outlets, and I decided to say

67. "I'm

yes," says McCrone,

Hong Kong, but now lives

COMMERCIAL Radio's direc-

McCrone stayed in thehot

Hahn, an ex-Reuters man who in true Hong Kong fashion decided to settle in Vancouver, Canada. His daughter Laura¡ne graces the TV screen in Hong Kong. C.P. Ho, McCrone's current Hong Kong connection, is also well known in the territory. Now a magazine publisher in his own rightas well as amemberof

spondent for AAP," he said. But

Ifnotfor your sake, Do itfor mine,

Bill Gasson, formerly a Reuters man, and There's

ÀT srM.

Lochie McDonald, who used to be the UK's Daily Mail man in

resigned. "I had two children at high school age, soI wentback to New Zealand and became staff coffe-

Just hang in there buddy, Let the life's clock tick.

RTHKinHongKong.

YOUMIND TALKNI4. IMTO TtfrS ?

LruD çucss. TAI(E À LOOK

zones in the world, and move the world editing base toAsia for the period when night fell in the west. The scheme was a great success, and was refined to produce today's structure, where the world editing centre for Reute¡s news is in Hong Kong during certain parts of the 24-hour cycle.

seatfrom 7967 to 1969, and then O dammit Eddie, Who asked you to get sick?

New Zealand Press Association in Wellington. Many will know his daughter Sally, a mainstay of

llornD

wsre

vantage

Suresh Sharma, was moved to write apoem to his playmate. Not intended as a work of great literary achievement, but as a simple expression offeelings it read, in part:

FCC

Another Yantze player,

coincided with a major departure lrom the then current practice for Reuters. It was decided that the organisation should take ad-

Tseng

I never thought

member Vicky Liu visited Tseng and Betty recently. She says he is under chemotherapy and not allowed visitors, but she was told by Betty that he was responding well to treatmentand has begun to regain the weight he lostrecently.

H0I^/D0 YOU KNO!/?

manager for Singapore. This stint

McCrone, whom you may have glimpsed in the club recently, was a mainstay of the

and an oxygen bottle. "I silently laughed when I compared myself to a monkey on the leash of a

herbal medicines, many of which are said to help cancer sufferers.

honourable one possible: the coffers were emptied to give decentas-possible payoffs to redundant staff. "When they (the landlord)

says nearest city is

phones, it's really very simple."

I can't afford to dine.

As well as all that science can offe¡ Tseng and his wife Betty are studying Chinese

Kong.

the office, but with computers a¡rd

recently he was "leashed" to his bed with tubes

music man," he wrote.

since strayed. And the reason the

club went broke was the most

puterandtheonein the office are compatible - that's the secret. It may seem like a long way from

He wrote recently to a num-

secretarygeneral's wife, the governor of the central bank and what he describes as "other bigwigs from

Them,andZapl - off they go down

McCrone. "The

his 70s, is in fine spirits, and visitors report that he is bearing his burden very well.

territory. His duties were managerial as well as those of a correspondent, so he quicklygot to know many correspondent faces in Hong Kong through the late '50s and'60s. McCrone says that he had the dubious honour of holding the club's purse strings when it went bankrupt. But the changes made at that time put the FCC on theroad to financial health from which, thankfully, it has never the

the phone lines back to Hong

four hours drive, but my com-

But Tseng, who is now in

the presidential

the

"I live in the wilds,"

lung cancer.

ber of FCC members, who were amazed at his ability to laugh at life even in the middle of a very serious illness. He is in Taiwan's best hospital, the Veterans'Hospital, and has had a stream of important visitors, including the foreign ministe¡ the defence minister,

cease. Words produced

BEnÇo c Ae€y

he has never been one for the quiet life, and has never been able to stop working.

His conversation is filled with the names of former members - many now inNew Zealand - who

will

be fondly remembered

by long-memoried members.

There's Derek Round, currently working

editor of the

Auckland.

Another famous name is that of Monty Parrott, cunently

living in Omokaroa,

Taurenga,

New Zealand.

Then there's Jimmy

already on my fourth retirement!"

tor of English programming, Mike Souza, and DDB Needham Worldwide's executive

creative director, Hans Ebert, have good reason to be truly proud of the work they do. They helped Commercial Radio win

goldmedal at New York'slnter-

national Radio Festival last month ahistoric feat in Hong Kong broadcasting.

of three one-minute

MikeSouza

public affairs programmes had general affairs managercontrolling not only news and public affairs but also public relations, community services, sports and intemational relations. Later, following a short stint as deputy general manager

at RTV, which became ATY he

founded Business Pleasure,

It competedinthe Public Service Campaign category with entries from about 20 countries including Britain and the United States. I Read The News Today was also a finalist at the ClioAwards. Another Commercial RaLove Of All.

Leaving Reuters in 1967, Ho joined HK-TVB as head of news and public affairs division. During his time, TVB's news and rating as an audience grabber. Later he became TVB's

spots

Read The News Today, Sign O The Time s -C ondo m and T he G r e at e st

the Guangdong committee of the Chinese People's Political Consulrarive Commirtee (CPPCC), he is a former Reuters hand.

top

HansEbert and produced by Souza, consisted

And

the two men feel

also that the gold they have won

glitters a little brighter than all othergolds, there is areason for that too. The winning entry, the station's Help Fight AIDS cam-

dio entry, Le t t e r fro m H on g Kon g also was a imalist in the editorial/ vlewpolnt programme category at the New York Festival.

paign, had earlier failed to score

Commenting on the victory, Ebert says: "Winning the gold was good. It proves that we are not some third-world also-

points

rans."

Hong Kong's 4A's

Awards!

The campaign

The creation of the prize-

commercial, created and written by Ebert

winning commercial resulted from Ebert's personal desire to

JULY 1988 THE CORRESPONDENT 23

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adveÉisements which-were later offered to sponsors. But no one took them. Everyone who was asked to sponsor them as public service campaigns, including the govemment, thought the advertisements were too strong, explains Ebert. "Then came along Mike, a long-time friend, offering to use them on Commercial Radio." Souza says that he has been thinking about starting an anti-AIDS campaign for some time. Commercial Radio, Souzapoints out, is a community-minded station. "That's why we wanted to launch the anti-AIDS campaign. Now, we're again the first commercial organisation to respond to the govemment's plea for the private sector to help fight pollu-

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Durup wanted

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for his new PR company, and chose a rather cheeky one to suit his image: Insertions. "I noticed that many clients used to say: Oh, this is the man who does insef ions into the newspapers for us.' So I thought it would make a good name, and it sounds rather dif-

tremendously," he says. Then, after a stint with The Star, which offered a little mo¡e money than did the Standard,Ebertmoved into the world of creative writing and advertising. And he hasn't looked back since. For the past 17 years Eberthas been working with the same group. Hong Kong-bom Souza,40, has been

He has applied tohavethename registered, and will be hearing about it shortly. What will be his specialisations? "I will essentially be handling corporate accounts, and I am going to concentrate on the service sector: hotels, airlines, wine compa-

working with Commercial Radio for two

ing the magazine Eating and Drinking in Hongkong from Thomas. "It would seem sensible, since those will be my interests in the

Says Souza: "We are good friends and we work together very well. In planning

the anti-AIDS campaign. we

got

together...becoming a thinktank. Now we are into anti-pollution. Our next could be anti-drugs."

CAR HIRE

Cyril Durup (/el) andTed Thomas

the paper decided to launch a weekend magazine which concentrated on covering show business, film, television, music, etc. "I got myself assigned to it and I had roaring fun working together with photographer Dinshaw Balsara. I enjoyed it

forjust about that length oftime.

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decades now. He and Eberthavebeen friends

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CYRIL Durup got a truly remarkable present for his birthday: his very own incorporated company. The giver? It was somebody with

tion," he adds. For the prize-winning anti-AIDS campaign,Ebertproduced theradio script using the copy originally written for printadver-

hockey, cricket and so on. And I was terrible in

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The magazine deal has not yet been clinched, but Durup is hopeful. "Negotia-

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tions are well underway," he says.

JULY 1988 THE CORRESPONDENT 25

PEOPLE Congratulations, chaps, and here's to your I 60th birthday.

MYSTERIOUS figure has been seen recently prowling

around the more scenic shores of Hong Kong wearing a Foreign Legion-style kepi. Who is

Gopinath

PROUDLY wearing a scowl

he, and what was he doing?

THERE's one thing youcan say for sure about FCC member K. Gopinath:he doesn'tfind a comlortable niche and stagnate in it.

Sharp-eyed readers will spol an unmistakable deformity

in the picture (right) which gives the game away: the poor gentleman was bom with pink

He is on the move again.

Gopinath, who comes from India's most literate and, perhaps, most beautiful state, Kerala, has been working in Hong Kong for more than two decades now. And his career during this period has embraced almost every side of publishing - daily

quently withthe Hongkong Standarflhad just won fi¡st prize for the best leature story of the year in an Oz suburban or country paper.

jug handles instead ofears.

The exclusive side view shot (belou,) gives further clues: a

Somer's grouch: "I've been a hack for 150 years and I've

nevergot a sniff, andthenipper's only 23 (or is it 24?) and he's

newspapers, weekly magazines. monthly magazines and books.

gone and upstaged me a beaut.

They include, among others, the now defunct China Mail, the publications division of the South China Morning Posl, Media &

teach a kid of mine

"That's the last time I'll

S t anda

At the same time, the 60year-old grouchy dad who is retiring as the public relations offi-

cer of the Urban Council and Urban Se¡evices Department,

rd.

More recently, the 52-

was seen proudly handing out his new name card atthe main barof the FCC. He has found himself a niche, once again, in the thick of the publishing scene. He is joining Sing Tao group as editor-in-

year old Keralan was Basir¡ess

Trat'eller's man in Hong Kong whenthe magazine's head office moved from Hong Kong to SinSapore.

As reported in The Correspttrdenl last month. Business

Trat,eller

other Keralan) replacing Filipino joumalist Juan T. Gatbonton as editor.

And what plans for Gopinath, who hasjust got back from an assignment for BusinessTrav-

eller inlndta?

"I'll

called The Engineer

which

trim white beard many will have seen being dipped into a glass of beer at the FCC.

last, the truth is out. Ir is none other than intrepid photographer-designer-explorercartoonist, the Zoo-famed

Arthur Hacker, out on loca-

tion. Says Hacker: "Mad dogs and Englishmen only go out in

Beijing. While lnBeijing, he had also worked in the New York

the midday sun wearing a

kepi." The brave man who apprehended the Foreign Legionnaire

Says Somers aboutthe new venture: "It's about China; but I don't want to give away the philosophy of the magazine until the

first issue comesout." Thatwill be soon, most likely next month. Also involved with the new magazine, one way or another,

is fellow senior GIS officer Philip Bruce and is seen with Hacker (right) cunently

vtew.

the trade and industry department.

are some of Somers' fellow "rats"

Chow, Henry Parwani and ONE former Hong Kong scribe moving on to new pastures is Ian Verchere who left the publishing scene about l0 years ago for the exciting world of high fi-

members.

nance.

Last month,

The fact that Gopinath's title is publishing manager rather than editor, indicates that the institution has something else up its sleeve. But Gopìnath who is delighted with the new post, will not talk about it now.

South China Morning Post. He covers transport and urban-infrastructure development. Stoner, 36, arrived in HongKongin March 1984. He had earlier spent two years on the English-language desk at the New China News Agency in

Tad Stoner

ofthe now defunct S¡ar: Robert

distributed lree of charge to its

Style Test conducted by The Correspondentisa repofter with the

chief of the yet-to-be-born

be taking ovel as pub-

lishing managel of the Hong Kong Institution o[ Engineers, starting shortly," he says. The institution publishes a magazine

TAD STONER, the winner of the

monthly magazine,China Re-

is moving back to

HongKong, with Vijay Verghese, formerly of the Hongkong Standard (and, curiousl¡,, an-

to read and

write."

Marketing and three encounters w ith the H on

Geoffrey Somers, who recently explained to those who cared to ask that his son Michael (who formerly worked with Somers' old rag The Star and subse-

later as editor and publisher of the business monthly, Insight. And recalling his days as a scribe in Hong Kong, Verchere said recently that one of his pastimes then was "exchanging ideas with fellow scribes at the bar of the FCC in Suthe¡land House".

Verchere

moved from the London-based public relations firm Gavin An-

He left Hong Kong to become the Tokyo-based vice presi-

the investor relations manager of another derson to become

"Let's jusl say the institution is looking at a number of

London-based public relations firm, Shandwickplc. Verchere worked in Hong Kong seven years (1972-79) as

options," he says.

editor

26 THE CORRESPONDENT JULY

of Asia

988

Trayel Trade and

dent and Asia communications director for Bank ol America. Five years later, he moved to

New York where he was the

bank's corporate

Verchere

tìons

communica-

chieffor two years.

Kevin Sinclair.

AN 80th birthday party at the Far Easlern Economic Review? Impossible. The tumover there isn't very fast, but still... Actually, it was two individuals having

Timesbveau for

year.

In Hong Kong, Stoner spent three-and-a-half years as chief reporter, cinema critic and, later, news editor of W & EnÍertainment Times. He also hosted a weeklY film-review segmenton ATV for

40th birthday parties.

lOmonths and has written for

Hamish MacDonald, who recently moved from Sydney to become theReviev,'s regional editor, shared a celebration with

various local and overseasPubf ications including Time magazine and the Los Angeles-based

Hong Kong advertising man Simon Martin. Joining in the

PhiladelPhia,

party spirit was Penny Byrne, seen above with her mouth full.

The old adage: 'You only get out of life what you put into it,' also applies to the results you get from your advertising. Put it in the right place, with the right momentum behind it, and there are no limits to what you can achieve. Think of The Review as a high performance vehicle. A means of rapidly transporting your product or service straight to the top. As Asia's most respected and highly regarded publication, The Review reaches more leading figures in government, finance and business, more decision makers and top management, than any other publication. And does it more cost efficiently. For your product or service, the environment of The Review adds to the mileage you get out of it. Outstanding editorial content and a mix of other high octane advertisers make The Review well received in influential circles, aII over the world. Now there's fuel for thought.

daily,

T he H ol lyw

ood

A native of

R eP

During the past year,

leading automotive manufacturwith The Review

ers invested in B7 pages of advertising

orî e r.

Stoner holds a Master's degree from the University of Missouri Graduate School of Joumalism.

For further information, please contact Elaine Goodwin, General Sales Manager. GPO Box 160, Hong Kong. 'IeI:5-293123,TLx: 62497 REVAD HX, Fax: 5-8656197

JULY 1988 THE CORRESPONDENT 27

LEISURE

In search of food... and a lot of fun

Bruce Maxwell and Charlie Smith entered an inaugural gamefish toumament at Pratas Reef oveÂĄ the Queen's Birthday long weekend in mid-June, and picked up the top trophies. Maxwell, fishing from Smith's 63foot ketch, Rapid Transit, landed the tournament record billfish a l20lb sailfish - using a 30lb breakafter a 45-minute fight, ing-strain line. Smith himself the previous day caught what turned out to be the winning gamefish

exploits of the FCC's 50-odd

South China Sea sailors are a legend and now it seems they are taking to big-game fishing as well and, in that course, causrng a controversy.

a zl4lb wahu.

Leston caught dorado and yellow-fin tuna, helping his boat to a 23-fish haul, only two behind Mandalay's upper-mark 25. Leston is awaiting delivery of a Symbol sportfishing

Said Maxwell, whose Asian Boating magazine helped organise the event with Hatteras Yachts and Hong Kong's Mandarin Sportfishing Club: "It was pretty successful."

DISAPPROVAL: This success, however, was not accalimed by all. The news about

the game fishing, reported in the South China Morning Post, angered one of the

paper's readers, Francis Haddon-Cave. Explaining that it was a very long time ago that man had to fish and hunt for food, Haddon-

miles east of Hong Kong.

Cave said killing for the pleasure of it must

the reef, Les

that the men had no thought for the pain and suffering their sport might have caused or the wider implications that their "selfish and cruel activities have for life on earth". But Maxwell who claims that every fish he has caught since a kid in Australia has been for food, says that the goal wasn't any different this time. "The panfried fresh dorado and wahu are superb, and we immediately chill the tuna for sashimi with green Japanese Wasabi mustard and kikkoman soy souce." Only the barracuda, he says, are put back, because barracuda caught off a reef tend to have eaten all sorts of poisonous other nasties.

boat.

Seven yachts and powerboats were at the reef, 165 nautical miles southeast of Hong Kong, while others trolled from Mirs Bay out to Pedro Blanco Rock, 50 nautical

Aboard Hoopoe

"What is it that these men (Maxwell, and Laverty) have done that is so impressive or worthwhile," he asked. The team's action, he said, demonstrated Pearse, Smith

stop.

/Ă¸=

-+ Extt'eme left: MargteriteSiron,amemberofthe Rapid Transitfishingexpeditionin action. Left: T he 120-lb sailfish caught by Bruce Maxwell is stretched out on board the

63-footketch, RapidTransit. Ahove; Charlie Smith with his catch, the winning gamefish, a 44lbWahu. NO THREAT: Another SCM Posl reader, Patrick Newman, took issue with Haddon-

the

Cave and defended the fishing team.

flattish then, between

Angling, Newman said,

southwest monsoons, which makes anchoring at the reef much more pleasant."

posed no threat

whatsoever to the survival of any species of

northeast and

V/hile that controversy simmered, Maxwell said: "We've decided to make the

A rash of callers, according to Maxwell, have already started seeking tournament information and contacts with the Mandarin Sportfishing Club. Among them, Iong-time FCC member, Peter Bennett, whosaysthathe'd always wanted to

gamefish toumament an annual affair, over

give gamefishing

fish nor would it cause fish any evident pain or stress. The greatest threats, he said, came from commercial over-fishing and pol-

lution.

28 THB CORRESPONDENT JULY 1988

this same June long weekend, before the full brunt ofthe typhoon season. Seas are often

a go.

JULY I 988 THE CORRESPONDENT 29

THE GORRISPOilIIDIUT

CROSSU/ORD

A BOTTLE OF CHIVAS REGAL

NOs

Compiled by Brian Neil @ 1988

NOTE: In

those who can't figure what the hell it's all about.

€

this month'sprzzle, the clues run ACROSS

only; the second letter ofeach answer is given to assist CLUES ACROSS:

(1) Apes (s,4) (2) Rage (9) (3) Bart (6,4)

(11) E.g.: hit (6,2,5) (12) Rocco tells (4,10)

(13)Rainbed(14)

(6) One ass (6,5) (7) Viler (7,s) (8) A Merc? (7,5)

(10) Earthed (6,7)

(4) Ales (6,4) (5) Bared (6,5)

(9) Sling fee (5,8)

(14) Red Sam (9,6) (15) No reps? (9,6)

¡ t0

CROSSWORD NO.4:

l1 12

CORRECT SOLUTION

Canon

The winner is:

t5 I

SueEarle

RULES

Entries must be sent to:

number of the contestant.

THE CORRESPONDENT CROSSWORD, Printline Ltd, 601 Fu House, T lce House Street, Central, Hong Kong.

4. The first correct solution drawn from the entries received will be awarded

2. Entries must reach the office not later than July 28.

e05 620.650

they're totally automatic, quiet and electronic. Correct exposure is assured even in backlit situations. There's a built-in three-frames-per-second motor drive. And they have SLR versatility with 13 new EOS lenses. That's why, among photographers who are comparing autofocus cameras today, there's the feeling that Canon's EOS system was well worth waiting for. There's the feeling that future has finally caught up with photography.

out- of-focus picture. EOS cameras are

not only ultra-fast,

bottle of Chivas Regal.

5. The solution andwinner'snamewillbe published in

3. Entries must carry the name, address and the club membership

If you've quietly waited for new developments in the world of autofocus photography, the new Canon EOS cameras are surely what you've waited for. These are the cameras that are changing the future of photography - more responsive, more creative, faster than any camera you've ever imagined. Canon EOS (Electro-Optical System) camera systems have individual microprocessors built into the lenses. Each lens has an individual motor for optimum focusing speed. The connection between the lens and camera is electronic, not mechanical. Data transmission is thus instantaneous. Creativity is at your fingertips. And so, even when you're using an EF300mm lens to track the quick moves of a basketball player, focus response is instant. Even in dim lighting conditions down to EVI (ttre tigtrt produced by a single candle), thanks to Canon's BASIS (Base Stored Image Sensor). You'll never again take another

TheCor-

respondent fhe following month.

FIYE FACTS ABOUT FCC MEMBERS decision findingsofarecent survey among FCC members in Hong Kong said it all. These men and women constitute the ideal target Wealthy, well-travelled,

makers.The

audience for a variety of

advertisers.

Consider these facts:

members travel out of Hong Kong ó to 20 times a

FACT 1:

487o

the FCC

r e a c h t hi s t ar g

t audi

nc e, a dv

Over first

year and l47a more thaD 20 times. 5OVo lravel business class and l0%

electric typewriters, telephones, PBX systems, telex, fax, photocopiers,

class.

computers, computer software, wordprocessors, etc

FACT 2:

75Vo wine and dine 5-20

nights a month in hotels and in Hong

Kong.

restaurants FACT 4: ilo/a own

rcnial, a

3: 52-&Vo make purchase or usage decisions for FÄ,CT

variety of office automation

rti

s,,,,

own cars and 257a

boats.

FACT 5:

equipment:

64Vo eam more than $500,000 a year with 23qo of theñ eaming in excess of $1 million.

,Ð

TllE GoRRISPoNIIENT 601 Fu House . 7 Ice House St . Hong Kong

Telephone: 5-237121 . Fax: 5-8453556

30 THE CORRESPONDENT JULY

1988 CAllO¡|¡¡lG.:P.O.8ox5050,Shln¡ukuDat-tchtS€lmÊ¡Bldg.,Tokyol00,Japan

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messoge. Becouse in coses like these, There's o lot to be soid for foxing messoges. seeing is believing.

Hong Kong Telephone-The lnvisible

Link, mokes FAX possible.