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COVBR STORY Caught in between a hollow dogma and demons of chaos Two months ago The Independent's Be ijing T4
correspondent, Andrew Higgins, was expelled from THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS'
CLUB North Block, 2 Lower Albert Road, Hong Kong. Telephone: 521 l5ll Fax: 868 2t092 President - Peter Seidlitz
First Yice President - Steve Vines Second Vice President - rly'endy Hughes
Correspondent Member Governors Jonathm Friedlmd, Humpfuey Hawksley, Gillian Tucker, Claudia Rosset, Manin Howell, Bob Davis, Catherine Ong, Hri Bedi, Mary Ellen Fullam Journalist Member Governors David Thurston, Stuart rilolfendale Associâte Member Governors Roger Thomas, F. C. H. rr¡y'adsworrh, Peter Humble, Mike Smith
Professional Commiltee: Convenor: Steve Vines,
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lrene O'Shea Video Committee: Mike Smith, Gillim Tucker Publications Committee: Convenor: David Thunton, Members:F.Wadsworth, Hai Bedi, Peter Humble, Bob Davis, Martin Howell, ìüendy Hughes, Frmcine Brevetti Wall Committee: Bob Davis, David Thunton
THE CORRESPONDENT Editor: Kul Wilson Advertlslnç Ingrid Grcgory and Rcmry Little EDITORIAL OFFICE: AsiaPacifi c Directories Ltd, 9Æ, Grmd View Commercial Centre, 29-31 Sugar Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Telephone: 577 9331t Fax: 890 7287
Lim*ed . O1991 Satellite Television Asian Region Limited.
4
Waiting in the wings in the Philippines as a future president, Richard Gordon, is Seen by many
playing his political cards. close to chest.
6
The great pretender
Juan Ponce Enrile has been called many
things in the Philippines but he has yet to be called Mr President.
9
Keeping the market honest
Not many people envied Robert Owen' s decision to take on the chairmanship of the territory's Securities and Futures Commission. But in a few short years he has managed to make the casino honest.
PEOPLE
11
Friends say goodbye to Pat Patterson
12
Club pays tribute to Clare
Picture special from the special birthday party which was thrown by the Club for veteran corespondent Clare Hollingworth.
19 What every freelancer knows Although \¡/ritten for an American audience Benjamin Stein speaks for all freelancers the world over. BOOK REVIEW
2l
Leighton Willgerodt reviews Hari Bedi's book Understanding The
Asian Manager
@ The Conespondent
Opinions expressed by writers ile noÌ necessarily those of the Foreign Conespondents' Club. The Conespondent is published monthly for and on behalf of The Foreign Conespondenls' Club by:
AsiaPacifìc Directories Ltd,
A HutchV¡sion Compony
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24
Knowles Down Under
Former editor of The Correspondent ,Ron Knowles, takes look at the media Down Under.
a ight hearted
REGULARS LETTER FROM TTIE PRESIDENT MANAGBR'S REPORT ................ LETTERS NBW MEMBERS
2 3
22 23
Cover photograph: Michael Fialal AF P THE CORRESPONDENT NOVEMBER 1991
I
mendations on streamlining operations and improving profitability of the Club. The four partners o'Í KYZ spent a few days at the Club in October.
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDE,NT
Board to consider management consultancy report
They reported that the general manager and his key employees are "seasoned professionals who are per-
forming well given the constraints of space and back-of-house facilities." But
here was a terrific response from members to the two questionnaires we sent out to gauge opinion on the refurbishing of the lounge next to the main bar, on the Club's investment strategy and on whether the Board should begin negotiations to purchase our clubhouse A total of 335 members replied to the survey. The answers were very clear 250 members gave the board the goahead to put the money under professional management and 256 voted to allow the Board to begin negotiation with the Government to buy the lcehouse Street building. The votes against were 20 and 14 respectively. The third question put before members concerned the new lounge. Of the votes cast 230 members voted for proposal C, 48 for B and 73 for A. The architects have been instructed to
bearing term accounts at several financial institutions. The average interest
proposals
general manager of Hongkong Bank
$3,898,730
offering free advice in the initial stages of our negotiations with the Government. The Board has established a special committee chaired by Steven Vines with David Fielding, a director of HKSBs Wayfoong Property Ltd and longtime FCC member, acting as an advisor. Maximising our interest earnings has become even more important in view of
meet salaries and wages payment of the Club. ln 1990/1 991 the subscription was $8,555,1 15, an increase of 1 19 percent
for the more effective
preserve the FCC's capital,
2)
improve
taking
its yield without
to
ongoing Club needs.
We also asked that they minimise their fees, pointing out that the FCC's was not a profit driven entity but - according to "a prestigious account that Friedland they could use in their marketing efforts."
As Jonathan Friedland, our treasurer reports, the FCC has an endowment of roughly $13.6 million placed in interest
I
management arm of Hongkong Bank, which may be a useful link-up given the response to the question concerning the purchase of our Clubhouse. A letter was sent to the Board by the
inappropriate risks and 3) to leave a suitable portion of the funds liquid for
other two choices.
a dangerous trend of operations. quote: "An analysis of the income and expenditure accounts of the last six
earned on these accounts is 7-8 percent Many of these accounts are coming due and with an inflation rale oÍ 12-13 percent and deposit rates of 4-6 percent, our endowment is being seriously eroded. ln August, Friedland and Catherine Ong, the deputy treasurer, approached six reputable fund managers in Hong Kong (most of whom are FCC members) and asked them to prepare
management of the Club's endowment. The criteria they were given were: 1) to
proceed with their plan for proposal C, which envisages a more substantial enclosure of the lounge area than the
they pointed oul some weaknesses and
manager. Wardleys is of course the fund
the management consultancy report prepared by Koppen Yan Zimmermann KYZ lnternational. Rudi Koppen, ex
After our treasurers examined the
Holiday lnn Asia boss and now on his
proposals and made their recommendations, the Board voted to appoint Wardley lnvestment Services as the FCCs fund
own, was asked by the Board to undertake an audit of the FCC's operations
and financial status and to make recom-
Hong
Kong
Scotch Carlsb'/S'M' pouring
9.s0 9.00 HONG KONG CLUB 14.00 couNTRy GLUB 7.50 cRtcKET CLUB H.K. yAcHT CLUB 10.50 10.00 L.R.C. pActFtc CLUB 26.00 F.C.C.
4.00 4.00 5.00 4.00 4.50 7.50 20.00
9.00 9.00 14.00 7.00 5.00 5.50 18.00
income."
ln 1984/85, the was
subseription of nearly sufficient to
over 1984/85. However salaries
and
wages increased from $4,224,919 in 1984/85 to $9,864,570 in 1990/91, an
Wine by glass 16.00 14.00 18.00 12.00 13.00 15.00 28.00
fter a two year recess we have managed to obtain a French chef for our traditional French week at the end of November. Chef Fabrice Gomet, previously sous chef
competitions around the world and is currently Chef de Cuisine at the hotel Des Ursulines, Autun, France.
French week will run in conjunction with the 1991 Beaujolais Nouveau festivities and its arrival will be celebrated with the popular French country, and new wine tasting breakfast at 7:30 on
Kowloon
25.00 CLUB 7.0o cRtcKET CLUB KLN
29. The new Trattoria La Veranda with its typical ltalian home cooking has been a
NOTE:
25.00 6.50
12.00 4.00
20.00 6.00
30.00 10.00
F.C.C. is pouring 1 and 114 ôunce per shot compared to other
clubs which only pour 1 ounce per serving.
THE CORRESPONDENTNOVEMBER I99I
says: "lt is a great asset to the at
increasing incomethrough new revenue
outlets such as the new Lounge, the Italian restaurant, and the revival of the main dining room. We
The
way of
are also trying to
cut costs. But we have to take note of KYZ remarks that "prices in the main bar are 20 percent below that of other clubs."
KYZ anticipates lhat "the Club will operate at a deficit if profits from the Bar and Restaurants do not improve substantially to meet the foreseeable
high increase in salaries and wages." We will endeavour to do this while keeping prices as fair as possible, but you can do your part too: bring in new members, get the word out about our fine new Italian restaurant and the improved menu in the main dining room, and think about having your next corporate function or party at the FCC. The board will, at their next meeting, evaluate in detail the f indings of the KYZ report and discuss implantation of the recommandations. The ltalian restaurant out every day and evening since -its sold opening is a good beginning. KYZ
-
FCC".
refurbishing programme, includ-
ing the new sauna/steam bath and gym should be finished before the end of the year. And on a more social note, the FCC was bustling with activities last
-
month Clare Hollingworth's birthday pady (see pictures on page 12-13) was a great success. We had a series of good speakers including Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, who flew in specially from
Manila. South American diplomats, like thê Brasilian consul general, stayed until early morning for the Latin American night. The Thai night was a sellout. ln the Veranda Restaurant the ltalian diplomatic community seems to feel quite at
home. According to Frederico Falla, acting consul general, we have the "Best Italian restaurant in town." We can proudly claim to be the best press club in the region with facilities and a financial situation unique to any press club worldwide. That's because our membership, a good mix of correspondents, journalists and associates, is truly
'
unioue as well.
Peter Seidlitz
MANAGER'S REPORT
Thursday, November 21 , on the Veranda and in the main dining room. To conclude the French promotion, a gala evening has been arranged for Friday, November
TOWER
2
13.50 11.00 22.00 11.00 7.50 9.00 31.00
Soda Coffee per cup
met by the increases of subscprition and the interest
cent. The shortfall was
with the world-famous Paul Bocuse restaurant. Chef Gomet has competed in culinary
KYZ INTERNATIONAL BEVERAGE COMPARISON WITH OTHER CLUBS
Beer
years reveals that income from the Bar and Restaurants increased by 52 percent. The catering and Administrative Expenses increased by over 102 per-
increase of 1 33 percent. As you know we are looking
great success with most members and it has made the first floor more lively in the evenrngs. You now have a choice of two locations
to dine - the main dining room with a newly designed menu prepared by Executive Chef Alan and the Trattoria La Veranda with delicious ltalian home cooking of Chef Gabriele. The old hanging lights from the main dining room, which can be used as a whole set or individual wall or garden
lights are now for sale at set
of six
$1
,200 for a
.
Social and Professional Events: November 18 -- Paul Dietrich, a delegate to the Annual World Health Assembly, the governing body of the World Health Organisation.
November 27 -- David Shepherd, Conservationist and wild life artist. November 28 & 29 -- Slow boat to Macau
November 29 -- French Week Gala
lf you don't know what presents to give for Christmas, look at what is available at rhe FCC: Watch Polo T-shirts
$1 80
Sweater
$1 80
Pocket diary Desk diary Wallet
$sa
Christmas cards (10) T-shirts
Organiser Lithograph Umbrella
$eo
Evening
December 3 -- Miss Tibet Forbidden Tour
An order form for the special Christmas offers is enclosed.
$1 60
$110 $30 $33 $400 $1,000 $1 30
Heinz Grabner THB CORRESPONDENT NOVEMBER
199I
3
I GUE,ST SPEAKERS
Gordon said he would start at the top by slashing the country's bloated bureauctacy. Gordon said that although he did not like the idea of foreign bases on Philip-
Waiting in the wings or the 46-year-old mayor
ippines is that it has always relied on the "quick fix" solution to the country's problems.
of Olongapo, Richard Gordon, the giant American naval based next door at Subic Bay has been something of
"After the war we saw America as being the answer to our problem," he
a mixed blessing. On the one hand he concedes the fact that it has provided thousands of local Filipinos with tremendous work opportunities. On the other hand it has also turned Olongapo into a seedy city of vice and corruption. lf Gordon had his way he would close the bars down tomorrow But Gordon is also a realist. A harsh critic of the Aquino government, a defender of the US bases and a firm advocate for clean municipal government, Richard Gordon is seen by many as a future president of the Philippines. Whether or not he will run in next year's presidential election is open to specula-
tion but for the time being Gordon
is
playing his cards close to his chest. ln a lunch time address to the Club on October 15, Gordon spoke of the problems facing the Philยกppines and gave his
own candid views on what should be done to stop the "rot" and restore the country's lost pride and dignity. Gordon is no stranger to the corruption and violence that has today become part
of everyday life in the Philippines.
His
father, James Gordon, who was also mayor of Olongapo, was assassinated for trying to clean-up corruption and his mother stepped in to become the first woman elected mayor in the Philippines. A lawyer, Richard Gordon, followed his father and mother into local politics. He
was elected mayor of Olongapo in 1980 and has been mayor ever since, albeit with a two year absence when President Corazon Aquino fired all the mayors from
the Marcos era shortly after she was elected in 1986. "The Philippines," he said, "has reached
rock bottom. No matter who wins next year's presidential elections
the right
-
-
the left or
it does not matter, because
things can only get better... they can't get any worse. "The problem with the Philippines today is that it does not have a strong,
4
Richard Gordon charismatic leader ... someone who has a vision for the future and can restore the
people'pride in themselves. That person has to be visible throughout the country. It has to be a
person willing to make tough
decisions and see them carried out and someone capable of tackling corruption. "Frankly, I do not see anyone around who fits the bill at the moment," he said.
Asked about his own presidential ambitions, Gordon said the "moment" would dictate his decision, "l am in no hurry, but if the moment is right I will run," he said. Gordon said it was the present he was more concerned with rather than the future. The eruption of the Mount Pinatubo volcano had left hundreds of thousands of people in Central Luzon homeless and had put an estimated 651 ,000 people out of work. The closure of the US bases in the Philippines had become another disaster he said. The removal of the US facilities at Subic Bay will cost 42,000 base jobs and another 200,000 indirectly associated with the base. "All these people with no where to go and no future in sight and the biggest tragedy of all is that no one has come up with any concrete answers on how to solve the problems we are now faced
with." Gordon said the problem with the Phil-
THE CORRBSPONDENT NOVEMBER I99I
said. "Then after every presidential election we looked to the new president to fix our problems, Marcos changed the constitution to f ix our problems, the US bases were seen as the answer to our economic problems.and Mrs Aquino was seen as the ultimate quick fix. "ln fact, under her leadership the country has never been worse off. She had no fixed agenda to solve the country's problems, became preoccupied with chasing after Marcos cronies and turned the constitution into an anti-Marcos constitution. And she has left herself wide open to manipulation from all sides of the political fence. So much for Mrs Aquino's quick
pine soil he was a realist. "They provided work for many Filipino people. But to simply close them down with out offering any alternatives does not make any sense. "Those senators who wrapped themselves in the flag of the Philippines and argued against retaining the bases will
have to tell the people why next year because the bases will be an election issue." Although Gordon speaks in favour of the bases he is not in favour of their continued presence in the Philippines. He would prefer to see a phased withdrawal over a number of years and the phasing in of his development projects for the region. "At present there is an atmosphere of doom and gloom hanging over the Philippines. lwould like to see boom and bloom coming to the country," he said.
Karl Wilson
And the winner is... Emphasis (Hong Kong) and Emphasis Video
Entertainment Ltd picked-up three major awards for inflight entertainment at the
'prestigious Avion awards in London.
The awards, which began in 1989
in
recognition of quality inflight entertainment, were presented at the annual World Airline Entertainment Association Conference which was held at the Grosvenor Hotel in London last month. Emphasis, which produces the inflight print publication and video programmes for Cathy Pacific, won: Best Overall lnf light Entertainment Award
(for print, video and audio). Best lnflight Magazine (lor Discovery, April 1991 issue). Best Special Purpose Video Programme
(for Discovery Hong Kong, May
1991
programme, Learning Cantonese segment).
fix." Gordon said he had put a "blue print" for the development of Olongapo to the then President Marcos back in 1 980 "which was confined to the presidential dust bin
inside Malacanang". "l put the same plan to Mrs Aquino in 1 988 and again nothing has been done," he said. Gordon's plan is modelled along Franklin D. Roosevelt's newdeal which dragged the United States out of the depression in the 1 930s and set the country on a new economic path. It basically calls for major infrastructu-
ral development projects throughout Central Luzon roads, railways and
-
viaducts - to get people back to work. "ln Central Luzon there is nothing now. Banditry is on the increase and people are fleeing the area to try and find work in already overcrowded cities to the south," he said. "An FDR initiative would at least get people working again." He said the second part of the plan called for the redevelopment of Subic Bay as a container porl and ship repair facility. "Why not?" Gordon said. "We have the skilled workers already in place." Asked how he would fund the projects,
THE CORRESPONDENT NOVEMBER I99I
The great pretender
the Asian-Pacific region as a whole and beyond.
'Lrtop"
will be fully integrated by
then'
25 ASEAN will have completed its first
Kong will be five years closer vears. Hono-unification with China and' if ío its final will our suggestion is carried out' the US the from forces have w-it-hdraw its military
Philippines and perhaps from our gion," he said. "lt will be a splendid opportunlty to engage in a large political, social and ecðnãm¡c reconstruction' A splendid re-
oooortunitv to attempt ambitious new Philipbeginnings, especially for us in the pines.:' Enrile said that if political power changes in 'l 992 "the country will have the
hands
necessary psychological and political
-- almost a century. They have had
a
good relationship but it can be better. We must make it better. We must reassess that relationship as one that befits two friends whose views on life have changed and whose needs and interests have grown. This will not be easy. "l am confident US and Filipino relations have a bright future and will develop and strengthen." Enrile said the Philippines has no inten-
tion of becoming protectionist. "We believe in the free market economy and we have no intention of being isolated from the rest of the world. "We have been hurt. We have been bruised. We have been called a spent force. We do not blame anyone for th¡s. But we must be prepared to assume
impetus" to begin a major reconstruction. "Politicalchange is the keY to the future," Enrile said' "lt has to be Peaceful, democratic and constitutional' This
of the 1970s. lt will be a major task of the
next leader to see this ferment channelled in adifferentdirection. Having known
these people and worked with them for the past 17 years I believe I can resolve
the problem." Enrile then announced that he would grant a general amnesty to right wing military rebels, leftists and Muslim seces-
sionists in the south of the Philippines. "The time has come to address the problems of the country in a realistic way. We can not go on using guns and bullets. It costs lives and scarce resources which we can no longer afford to waste. And, more importantly, to the outside world, we will continue to be seen as a fragmented, unstable country. "The next leader, and I hope it will be me, will have to address this problem and settle it once and for all in a political way." The irony here is that we have heard itallbefore. When Çorazon Aquino first came
to power she granted
will helP the PhiliPPines reinvestment." Enrile justified his Position in leading the Senate re¡ection in SePtember of the
February 22, 1986: Enrile and general Fidel Ramos walk out on Marcos
Communist Party and its military wing, the New People's Army. The loudest voices of protest were Enrile's and the military.
Trealy of FriendshiP, Co-
operation and SecuritY beenator Juan Ponce Enrile was for years one of Ferdinand Mar-
cos' closest allies. One of the architects of martial law and defence secretary for 16 years, Enrile was a man Marcos could trust.
When Enrile 'ljumped ship" back February
1
in
986 during the so-called people-
power revolution he was seen, in some quarters, as an opporlunist who had one eye permanently fixed on the top job the presidency. Throwing his support behind Corazon Aquino, Enrile attempted to distance himself from any involvement in the excesses of the Marcos era and was promoted as one of the heroes of the revolution. His reward was his old job back at the defence ministry but this time in Aquino's government. The political marriage between Aquino and Enrile, however, was one of convenience rather than love. Within weeks all the talk of peace, reconciliation and nation building which
6
THE CORRESPONDENT NOVEMBER
formed a major part of Aquino's platform, disappeared as dissension split her government wide open. One of those whose voice was loudest was Enrile who ended his association with the Aquino government six months after he was appointed defence secretary. Since then his name had been associated with numerous coup attempts by socalled "reformist" elements within the military and in 1989 he was charged, and later acquitted, of rebellion which stemmed from an aboftive coup. Today the Harvard educated lawyer, politician and secretary-general of the Nacionalista Pafty is on the move again and this time he intends to get the top job. No one can dispute Enrile's cat cunning and ability. He has been in politics for a long time and he knows how to
impress those he needs to impress. An example of his style was seen when he addressed a Club luncheon on October 28. Enrile, personally handed out a single
1991
red rose to every woman who was there. How memories fade ... just a few short years ago he waq handing out yellow roses in Manila. (For those who do not know, yellow was the colour of Aquino's party and the symbol of people power). Enr¡le told the Club, in no uncertain terms, that he was ready to run for the presidency. Although short on substance he was big on rhetoric. Speaking from prepared notes Enrile said: "l have been in government for many years. I have been a lawyer, politician, a member of the cabinet but I have not yet been a president and that is what I am working for now."
He said the presidential elections in May 1992 will be fraught, with all the problems and uncertainties one could imagine. "But at the end of the day, we hope to see a change of government. Modesty aside, god-willing, I hope to be part of that historic change." Enrile believes 1992 will be a turning point, not only for the Philippines but for
a
general amnesty to all members of the Philippine
gain investor confidence and
lndeed, throughout Aquino's administration the military has had the upper
tween the PhiliPPines and the
United States which sought to extend the uS military
hand. Soldiers involved in a
presence for anotherl 0 Years'
He said this has caused anxieties not onlY in the Philippines but within the region
as well. One anxiety, he said' was that the Philippines had become anti-Ameri-
can and ihe otner was that it had become inward-looking and protectionist' "This is wrong," Enrile said' "A new administration in 1992 will have an opposioortunitv to spell out just what the of withdrawal the i¡on ¡s. But for now and airJield Clark from American forces disthe Subic Bay naval base does not miliOur US' the with turb our friendship deUS
tual our
Juan Ponce Enrile responsibility for the errors of the past, if there were such errors." Enrile said the next government of the Philippines would have to rebuild a new nation from the "rubble". "We are capable of imitating, if not duplicating, the best Asia has to offer and staging the next miracle of the 1990s."
received commands and they were
coups such as colonel Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan, who is currently trying to negotiate the terms of this surrender. Honasan, it is worth noting, was head of Enrile's security staff towards the closing stages of the Marcos era and a leading figure in the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) within the Philippine military which inspired the military revolt back in 86. Wot¡ld Enrile take him back? "Why not," Enrile said. "He is a good
obeyed.
man."
Asked how he would curb the military's involvement in politics, Enrile said things have changed from the days when people
military alliance with the United States'
"lt is populated by young graduates from the Philippines Military Academy.
years have travelled along way over the
They are products of the political ferment
"rné enitippines and the United States
succession of failed coup attempts against her government have mostly been sent back to their barracks after a few push-ups for punishment. But what of the real men behind the
Karl Wilson
THECORRESPONDENTNOVEMBER
1991
7
U.K. Property Prices
Keeping the market honest
May Never Be Lower!
Phone Brian Holroyd Now
NORTH SHORE HAYLING ISLAND
or the best part of a year now the
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€495,(x)O
stock exchange and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) have been at loggerheads over
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existing market systems here in Hong Kong."
have largely been implemented. He said risk management systems of the markets have been overhauled and a number of measures taken in the investor protection field to combat abuses. "ln terms of the major reforms, the
But Owen pointed out that Hong Kong's ability to attract capital was based on the confidence international investors had in the "soundness and integrity of the mar-
to widen membership of the council and limit the number of proxy votes to make it more representative of the industry as a
whole.
Despite numerous attempts to have the reform package accepted by the members, the exchange failed to get the 75 percent vote necessary to have them adopted. The SFC, for its part, forced the issue and a compromise was sought. Of the 680 brokers who are members
of the exchange roughly one third
are
inactive but their votes are actively sought
by select self-interest groups within the exchange.
Ever since the crash of 1 987 and the subsequent arrest and trial of former exchange chairman, Ronald Li, the exchange has been trying to shake off its LITTLEWORTH FARM
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I
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BIRMINGHAM
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home within an estabìished suburb of B ham 2 receps, t beds, 2 garages Large carport, gas fired CH Approx. '¿ an acre. Lårge parking area Numerous local amenilies €' ¡ast access io l\4olor-
way. ed pr
pricable.
MOORGATE RESTAURANT HALIFAX, W. YORKSHIRE
I 7th Century Grade ll Listed building being a former lnn w¡th small cottage attàched, overlooking lake wilh sa¡ling club 2 recs. 5 beds, 2 baths. 3 wc's. 2 ancillary ms, solid fuel Rayburn t' Hunter CH, providing hot waler ¿ rads. Set in approx I of an acre wilh panoramic views Ref:222
coxEs LocK,
UTEYBRIDGE, SURREY
Luxury apartment ion converted mill with heared pool, sauna, gym, mooring for 25' boat. Reception. 2 beds. 2 bathrooms,2 wcs. Economy 7 heating, ted space parki ng.
sale)
€22o,q)o
Eastern Liaison Limited lOth Flr, Bank of East Asia Building 10 Des Voeux Road, C entral. WINDYRIDGE, SELSEY, CHICHESTER, WEST SUSSEX
Detached house built in ì925 seton sea
front. 3 receps Iarge hall. kit/b'fast
room, 3 double beds. 2 baths, 2 wc s, 2/3 ancillary rooms. gas fired CH, dble parase DIot size 325t \ 52' Ren 282
€159.üX)
Tel:868 1601 Fax:868 1533 in conjunction with Scahill & Holroyd (Overseas) 'Worcester, U.K.
SPRINGFIELD HOUSE, CHESTERFIELD, DERBYSHIRE tate Georgiân det rorianl built c¡rca beds. 2 baùhs, 3 comb¡ned garage Housel & aDorox. I acre. Ref: 25ó
'
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€179.üX)
"The presence of a flourishing international market will also act as a safeguard for Hong Kong as that will be a factor which will influence China to preserve
made by the Government's securities
ing body. The SFC wanted the exchange
Detached spìit level house set in a semi rural position on the edge of Sevenoaks Town Briefly comprising: two reception rooms, four/five bedrooms, three bath-
to fund the country's industrial and infras-
tructural development
and review committee, back in 1988,
council -- the stock exchange's govern-
DENBIGH HOUSE HANS PLACE, LONDON Two bedroomed flat in modern block overlooking attractive gardens. Most sought after area of London. The property briefly
"What we are saying is that the exchange's primary duty is to protect the interests of investors. This fundamental philosophical difference underlies a very large part of these conflicts of the past year." Owen said that the recommendations
"The thing Hong Kong has to offer China is its ability to act as a conduit for international investment into China and
have addressed the Club.
cerned the make-up of the exchange
MACHRIHANISH HOUSE MACHRIHANISH ARGYLL, SCOTLAND
members.
change, its chairman, Roberl Owen, should
The last chapter in the dispute con-
RIVERHEAD COTTAGE SEVENOAKS, KENT
function is to serve the interests of the
reputation of being an "exclusive private members' club". "lt has to be said, "Owen admitted when he addressed the Club on October 31, "that effective self-regulation has yet to develop fully in Hong Kong. "Placing the common, long-term interests above individual short-term interests has been a parlicular feature of the problems we've been seeking to redress," he said. "There is a mind-set problem that goes back quite some way. There has been a basic philosophical difference about what the exchange is all about, what it is there for and who it's there to serve and what
duties it has. "There has been a deep seated feeling on the part of many in the exchange that it is their organisation where its primary
is now largely completed," he said. "The current effort to reform the system of governance at the exchange is nearing completion. An independent commission's agenda
management team is now in place, along
with listing rules and risk management systems.
"Once all the reforms are inplace
it
should allow the exchange and SFC to turn their collective attention to the fields of market development - an area which has taken back seat through the politics and controversy over the past 1 2 months or so."
Owen said two areas that needed urgent attention were capital adequacy for brokers and dealers and the standards of professional conducts for brokers dealers and advisers. Another area, he said, was the "China dimension of the market." "The continued economic integration
of Hong Kong with southern China
has many listed companies having a
led to large part of,their operations located in China," he said. "There also needs to be a framework through which mainland based enterprises can raise capital in Hong Kong directly by
issuing debt and equity. To facilitate this there will be a need to develop a special category of listing for such China based concerns and joint ventures." Owen said that it was in Hong Kong's interest to expand its market to mainland businesses.
kets" in Hong Kong. "The China dimension and the 1997 factor also highlight the importance of having a sound, self regulatory system inplace well ahead of 1997," he said. "Reforms taking place at the exchange are essentially aimed at this end by establishing checks and balances and a
broadly based governing body which represent the interests of market users as a whole and investors rather than the interests of any particular group or sub-
group of market pafiicipants." Owen said that the greatest threat to Hong Kong's markets in the future had "the nothing to do with external threats real problem will be internal". "lf the self-regulating system of market
discipline is allowed to break down and permit a market disruption like that which
we experienced in 1987 it may open the doors to intervention by the central authorities. "But my impression is that there will be
no reason for the central authorities
to
interfere with the market after 1997. But if the market fails to maintain an adequate level of discipline and self-regulation that's when the danger will arises. "So the first line of defence is the market's own self-discipline and self-
regulatory system and that should be monitored and backed up by a statutory regulator who has the power to step in if the system does not work."
Karl Wilson
THECORRESPONDENTNOVEMBER
I99I
9
TIIE INNER
PEOPLE
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Friends say goodbye to Pat
lluilcling,
D/\'\'soFtul-twfi|K rrilJ !.(\\ùr('\ lnt(rn¡li,n¡l)
Allan Lonsdale 'Pat' Patterson gathered outside the main administrative block at HMS Tamar A dozen or so friends of the late
We've got noth¡ng more to say than ..GOOD FRENCH FOOD''
on Sunday October 13, to say "goodbye" to one of aviations last
proneers.
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FOR
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A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY
Spices at Pacific Place is creating a series of special buffet dinners each month to explore the mysteries of Àsian cuisine . Here the rare and tt+, chilli and extoic ingredients of the Orient - cardamom coconut, lemon grass, blue ginger, and tamarind are blended to create the classic dishes of Asia. arß1r\6l.n The Oceans of Asia, The Treasures of Siam, Romanc€ of the Raj, A Taste of Yi€tnam, Asian êt IJeAt, to name but øJew ,., Spices at Pacific Place, The Mall-LGl, One Pacific Place , 8E Queensway, Hong Kong 845 479E. For rcservation or further information, please telepbone us
,frsD
Pat, who knew most of aviation's legends, died at his home in
San Diego on August 21 this year. Depending on who you believed he was either 91 or 96. Among the friend of Pat's who turned up were retired US Air Force General Ken 'Skip' Burns, Bert Okuley, Ted Thomas, lrene O'Shea and Mike Westlake.
Happy Landings Pat P
^t
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1 1am a light aircraft from the Hong Kong Aero Club low sweep over Victoria Harbour as John Murphy, a made a long time friend of Pat's, scattered his ashes over the harbour. A few minutes later a Wessex helicopter from 28 Squadron lrailing the RAF ensign circled the area as a mark of respect for joined the Royal Flying one of the RAF's early flyboys - Pat Corps (the forerunner to the RAF) during World War l. Pat, who first flew in 1914, 11 years after Orville and Wilbur Wright made their historic first flight, lived every minute of his long, colourful life to the hilt. Up until he was forced to leave Hong Kong two years ago for health reasons, he was a regular at the main bar of the Club immaculately dressed and sporting a bow tie.
Just after
fiv[øñørQø
II
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Think about it! F.C.C. members represent one of the highest earning, per-capita, consumer spending groups in Hong Kong. INNER CIRCLE: HK$600 (Minimum 6 insertions) Colour ads: ll4 page HK$1,584; Il2 page HK$3,168; Full page HK$5,280' Black & White : I I 4 p age HK$ l, 3 20 ; I 12 page HK$2,640 ;Full page HK$4,400' Telephone: Ingrid Gregory 577 9331.
BRIEFLY Associate member Roger Thomas, has been elected chairman of the retail management association, a subsidiary of the Hong Kong Management Association. Thomas, whowas expelled from Uganda
by ldi Amin back in the early 1970s, is public affairs manager for Duty Free Shoppers. He also hosts his own radio talk-back programme for Metro News Radio.
T
T
T
Lynn Grebstad, one of the longestserving hotel PR officers in the local hotel industry, is leaving the Regent after five and half years. Although not leaving the industry for good, Lynn has changed camps and will join Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels at the end of the year.
Miles Bath (right) curator of the International Centre of Photography in New York presented the Club with a print taken by the late Magnum photographer Robert Capa. The picture was taken during the early days of the Vietnam war and was donated to the Club by Capa's brother, Cornell Capa, and founder of the ICP. The photograph was accepted on behalf of the Club by Bob Davis.
THECORRESPONDENTNOVEMBER
1991
II
PEOPLE South China Morning PosĂş Editor, Philip Crawley, also ex-Daily Telegraph, chats with Clare
Club pays tribute to Clare he Governor, Sir David Wilson, best summed it up when he said: "l only know of one other woman
who celebrates two birlhdays and that is the Queen."
Sir David made his remark during
Governor Sir David Wilson congratulates Clare on her 80th
a
a veteran correspondent Clare Hollingworlh at a Club dinner on October 21 in honour of her 80th birthday. For Clare it was her second birthday celebration. The first being held in Gray's tribute
Club President Peter Seidtitz presents Clare
lnn in London on October 10 which included the former British prime minister Edward Heath, Lord Maclehose, Lady Youde, Henry Keswick, Lord Brammall and many of her former colleagues. The Club's tribute was as much of a surprise to most members as it was for Clare. Organised at the very last minute, the guest list, which had grown to well
Kevin Sinclair making his point
with the front page
known to Cathay's Peter Sutch
of the SCMP dated
A gift from Philip Crawley
11.10.11.
Lady Dunn and Clare
over 80, had to be trimmed to 50 because of security and it was even touch and go whether Clare would show at all. Her departure from London had been delayed for hours and she only arrived back in Hong Kong four hours before the dinner was due to start. But as they say in the theatre "the show was all right on the night". Sir David and Lady Wilson, headed a VIP guest list which, included Lady Lydia Dunn and her husband the former attorney general Michael Thomas, the chief secretary Sir David Ford, the commander of the British armed forces in Hong Kong Major General Peter Duffell and political adviser William Ehrman. Sir David described Clare as one of the great correspondents of her generation - "a correspondent of integrity, honesty and courage". "When Clare wrote Gurkah soldiers parachuted standing at attention. She knew what she was talking about because she was jumping with them," Sir David said. "That is the sort of person she is. Her courage and determination is an inspiration to us all."
Clare, Moyer, Hubert Van Es (back) and Mrs Bowring
Chief secretary, Sir David
Ford chats with Sarah Monks and her husband Tom
Clare and Hubert
Almost lost for words, Clare thanks everyone from the "bottom" of her heart.
e' Tony Paul (left) Robin Moyer and Anthony Lawrence
Clare, John Elliott and David Bell
I Photographs by David Thurston
T2 THE CORRESPONDENT NOVEMBER
199I
THECORRESPONDENTNOVEMBER
1991
13
COVER STORY
Caught In Between A Hollow Dogma and Demons of Chaos HE room in the Public Security Bureau was familiar. I had sat in
high price for their defiance: a military
scores like it, a musty parlour with over-stuffed armchairs, a ragged
to bludgeon recalcitrant youth into submission but to ensure that neither they
assault of a ferocity calculated not merely
northeir elders would challenge the higher
red carpet and soiled white curtains. No office in China is without one. Even the stains and cigarette burns seemed the same, emblems of a dreary uniformity enforced down to the last squalid detail. Only one thing was missing:there were no cups of tea, a lapse in official protocol
with a message as blunt as the words had been summoned to hear. "We have receive orders from relevant higher organs that you must leave China by 15 September," said the official, his face frozen in a professional scowl, his eyes fixed on a notebook scribbled with his script. He wore a baggy green uniform and
organs again. I spent much of that night crouched in the bushes along the Avenue of Eternal Peace, my ears rin'ging from the constant crackle of gunfire and the thundering din of that awful, droning voice. Behind me hung a giant portrait of Mao
Zedong, his face eerily illuminated by
I
bullying manner to match. Naively,
I
asked who these "higher organs" might be. He frowned, looked down at this notebook and repeated the one sentence he had been empowered to utter. "We have received ordersfrom relevant higher
The c
Independent's
Beijing
orr esp o ndent, AN DREW H IGG I N S was ll e d r e c e ntly f' om C hina fo r i lle g al ly
e xp e
obtaining secret papers. In this edited extract from The Independent, H i g gins
tells of the ugliness behind the beauty of
China today.
organs..." Could he perhaps tell me his own name
the ugliness behind the city's resilient
and title? "We have received orders..." But what if there are no flights? "We have received orders." The encounter lasted no more than 15 minutes. lt was to be my last rendezvous with the dictatorship of the proletariat. Two days later, I obeyed the "relevant higher organs", packed what I could of my belongings and left, flying out of Beijing on a rainy Sunday evening.
ancÂĄent charm. It was in Beijing that I shared a trajectory of hope and despair whose joys and horrors neither I nor anyone else who lived through them will ever forget. The cold, monotonous voice that ordered me to leave within 48 hours belonged to the same higher organs that, two years earlier, had issued a similar command to students camPed in Tiananmen Square. There, too, the voice had no name, no rank, and invited no questions. lt was a disembodied drone, intoning the same message like a broken record from loudspeakers hanging from scores of lamp posts around the square. "You must leave. You must leave. You must leave."
Through windows streaked with drizzle looked down at a city I never imagined I would leave with such sadness. Grey and disfigured by acres of concrete, Beijing had often been a place to endure rather than enjoy, its pleasures ice skating on the moat of the Forbidden City in winter, cycling through tree-shaded lanes in spring and many happy friendpolice surveillance, ships - crimped by tapped phones and other reminders of I
14
THE CORRESPONDENT NOVEMBER
But, unlike me, the students did not obey. They stood their ground. They ignored the higher organs. They paid a 1991
flaming debris. The terror of 4 June 1989 took China's revolution back to its roots. The peasants who carried Mao to power in 1949 had again encircled the city. The brutish certainties of the countryside had swamped the dithering debate of the urban elite. Unlike the soldiers who would later be called into Moscow in a similar spasm of desperate revolutionary nostalgia, the men summoned to Beijing had no qualms about silencing their noisy compatriots. The People's Liberation Army was founded as a peasant army and remained one. My most vivid memory of that night, however, is not of the killing but the look on the killers' faces. They were blank. Rumour had it that the soldiers were drunk or drugged. They weren't. They didn't need to be. "The People's Army loves the people," they chanted as they sprayed bullets into
the crowd. "Serve the people. Long live
the people." That the people, or at least several hundred of them, lay dead or dying did not seem to matter. ln China, power in its
purest form is the power over language,
the power to impose a bogus order
of
words on the uncomfortable chaos of fact. The soldiers, in their own minds, were not killing unarmed people but defending the people from their enemies. Through a
manipulation
of words, their
messy,
murderous work had become a righteous duty.
"Grey and disfigured by acres of concrete, Beijing had often been a place to endure rather enioy."
As the Communist PaĂąy's propaganda apparatus spewed out its version of events in the weeks and months that followed, as officials, scholars and generals came forward to parrot the official line, I was reminded of how China's first dynasty, the Qin, tested the loyalty of its own servants more than 2,000 years earlier. They were summoned to the palace to see what their eyes told them+vas a deer but which the most powerful official in the land insisted was a horse. One by one they were asked to name the animal. Those who said what they saw were executed, those who said what they had been told to see were rewarded.
The message of this ancient ritual is embedded in a popular saying still used
today: "Point at a deer and call it a horse." ln its Marxist-Leninist form it is known as biaotai to declare one's
-
stand. All must come forward and declare that the deer is in fact a horse, that the students'peaceful protest movement was in fact a "counter-revolutionary rebellion", that the massacre was not a massacre but "correct, necessary and timely". The only criticism allowed is self-criticism. The words chosen to explain and justify the Tiananmen massacre were borrowed from the lexicon of revolution, the modern Western creed of Marxism-Len-
inism filtered through the Chinese prism
of "Mao Zedong Thought". As I look back, however, their true source seems to lie elsewhere, deep in
China's past. The vocabulary may be modern but the grammar of power is ancient. To try and trace these roots I travelled last winter to the sleepy, broken-walled town of Qufu in the coastal province of Shandong, where, a decade
earlier,
I
had gone to study classical
Chinese literature. Shandong, poor but immensely proud, is China's Holy Land, the birthplace and burial ground of its most revered sage: Confucius. ln Qufu, I visited the grasscovered mound said to contain his ancient bones. It is a haunting, beautiful place, marked by an immovable slab of marble and surrounded by a forest of pine and cyprus trees. Once a favourite target for Maoist zealots it is now the temple of a faith that even the party has come to embrace. The vice-like grip of China's past has been felt by all who have tried to change it.
Even Mao would admit defeat in his later years, telling Richard Nixon that he changed nothing beyond the suburbs of Beijing. An earlier revolutionary., Sun Yatsen, succeeded in unseating the Qing
dynasty in 1911 but never escaped its
absolutist legacy. "ln China," he wrote in despair, "there has for the last few thousand years been a continual struggle around the single issue of who is to become emperor." Unlike other creeds, Confucianism is a
doctrine of few absolutes. lts essence is easily defined: "When the way prevails in
the Empire, commoners do not express critical views." At the core of Confucian thought, or at least as interpreted by his patrons in every ruling dynasty since the Han 2,000 years ago, lies a rigid commit-
ment to hierarchy: everyone and everything has its place. A good citizen is like a son: he obeys, not because he believes but because to do otherwise would be to invite chaos. "lt is unheard of for such a person to start a rebellion," promised Confucius. For today's leaders that remains a comforting and useful message. On the roof of the local university in Qufu stands a string of three-metre-high characters painted in brilliant red: "Education must unswervingly uphold a socialist direction". The Confucian Way has become the Socialist Road, the guardian of order turned servant of revolution. Confucius' own relatives have blessed the odd alliance. "They can help each other," Kong Fanyin', an 8Oth-generation descendant, told me over tea in the
THECORRESPONDENTNOVEMBER
1991
15
c s U Ă&#x160;<
"It was in Beijing that I shared a trajectory of hope and despair whose joys and horrors neither who lived through them will ever forget."
I nor any one else
Confucius family mansion. "China needs
ished from the map, visited Beijing to help
years-old writer whose refusal to call a
order and Confucius always stressed
celebrate the 40th anniversary of Mao's 1949 revolution. Welcoming him at the top of the grand staircase in the Great Hall of the People, was China's prime minister, Li Peng. lt seemed an encounter rich in symbolism, two leaders united
deer a horse has landed him jail for much of the past 50 years. Chiang Kai-shek locked him up as a communist, Mao as a rightist, Red Guards as a counter-revolu-
harmony."
From the dogma of "harmony" has been distilled the modern-day cult of stability. "We have learnt our lesson from
history," says Deng Xiaoping, China's paramount leader, a man haunted by painful memories of past turmoil. "People thought that rousing the masses to headlong action was democracy... But the result was civil war." For Deng, the choice in Tiananmen was not between democracy and dictatorship but between chaos and order. Such is the foundation of the party's sole claim to rule: it alone can keep the demons of chaos at bay. The glue that now holds China together is this fear of disorder so deeply embedded in the minds of its leaders and, they hope, many of the
by a single ideology and its common crisis. But whatever brought them together in the Great Hall would not hold them together long. The lesson Krenz took back home to East Germany was clear:what had worked
in Beijing would not work in Berlin. For the authority of the Chinese Comrnunist Party to touch the outer reaches of its vast domain it must be generated in immense quantities at the centre. What matters is not that people believe the rhetoric but that they feel obliged to repeat it. And so long as their language is
led.
the same, the party calculates, their
The question, though, is how long it will stick. The contrast with other communist nations is stark. Deng's "Chinese solution" to dissent has remained just that: Chinese and Chinese alone. Only Nicolae Ceausescu tried unsuccessfully
thoughts will not wander.
to copy it.
-
-
Others flirted with the idea of using tanks but lost their nerve. One such was Egon Krenz, who, in what seems like the distant age before East Germany van-
16 THE
Confucius laid down the same principle long ago: "lf the words do not fit, discourse will not be smooth." Of course, this hectoring insistence on "unity of thinking" does not always work. China had its brave men and women who dared to think for themselves. I met perhaps the bravest, and certainly the most persistent, in Shanghai earlier this year. His name is Wang Ruowang, a 73-
CORRESPONDENT NOVEMBER I99I
tionary and, most recently, Deng as a bourgeois liberal. Yet he still talks and writes.
And it is not just dissidents such as Wang who f luff the party's caref u lly scripted lines. Several months after the Beijing crackdown, I visited China's most sacred revolutionary Mecca, the bifthplace of Mao Zedong, deep in the lush hills and valleys of Hunan. A colleague and I arranged a meeting there with Wen Huikang, the head ofthe local Mao Zedong Thought Society. We asked Wen to name his favourite work in the Maoist canon. A look of pure terror crossed his face. His
mind had gone blank. Seconds ticked by. We waited. He fidgeted nervously in his seat. Finally, we freed him from his misery, suggesting that he might like one of Mao's bestknown pamphlels, On Contradictions. Wen beamed. "Yes, yes, that's it. On Contra' dictions. That's my favourite." He kept muttering the title as if to implant it firmly in his memory so as to avoid future em-
barrassment. It was a revealing commentary on just how hollow official ideology had become.
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1991
19
BOOK REVIEW
Insight into the Asian manager n assignment ¡n Asia with
I can recall time and again my own Japanese staff in Tokyo asking me why
a
multinational corporation most certainly has its rewards. For most expatriates it is merely a stepping stone to somewhere else. But for those of us who hang around long enough to gain a real understanding of Asian peoples and cultures it also brings a wealth of f rustrations. We become increasingly baffled by the attempts of insensitive foreign managemenl to transfer wholesale their own and
their corporate culture to their Asian employees and the local market place. The loser is always the corporation. Correspondent member Hari Bedi, in Understanding the Asian Manager, addresses that phenomenon with perception and verve. He brings to the book the
Understanding The Asian Manager By Hari Bedi Allen & Unwin, $140 Reviewed by Leighton Willgerodt
unique perspective of an Asian who spent
25 years himself in management roles with a very large US based multinational.
With numerous anecdotes based
on
personal experience or that of friends, he graphically illustrates the pitfalls, or as he puts it "the cultural minefield," faced by foreign management in dealing with their Asian colleagues and subordinates. Some may think his portrayals of visiting home office directors, or the megalomaniac manager, or the expatriate who thinks of himself a hard-nosed businessman but is seen by his Asian staff as nothing more than a passive spokesman for the home office, are exaggerated to the point of òaricature. I can assure you they are not. I have seen them all. Time
and again I found myself chuckling
in
recognition. Almost to the point where I thought he was talking about my own company. But Bedi is at his best when he interprets for the Western expatriate the feelings, motivations and aspirations of Asian employees of multinational companies.
His most telling points are made
by
explaining what Asian managers really think of their foreign bosses. His section on the traits and qualities of
foreign managers, both positive and negative, as seen through Asian eyes, and his tips for the new expatriate, alone make the book a must for Westerners
being posted to this part of the world. And again this is done not by theorising but by factual anecdotes and interviews.
they can't be organised and judged more like employees in a Japanese company. To me Bedi's message is almost like a plea placed on behalf of Asian employees of multinational companies: "We are different but please try to understand us. Please trust us. And please don't try to turn us into clones of yourselves. You will only mess everything up." Bedi's message is vital for any company that wants to succeed in Asia. The book is long over due and should be read by any executive involved in Asian business. One can only hope that the lessons therein will be absorbed. Leighton Willgerodt is an Associate Member of the FCC and is a sales execu-
tive with a US multinational chemical company. He has worked in the region for the past 23 years.
ln his chapteron training the Asian manager Bedi
explains why attempts to transfer Western managementtechniquesto Asia are doomed to failure. I quote a statement every
Tank, Weight Blt, Dive Master, All
foreign manager should take note
Level Open Vy'ater Cefificate Courses,
of: "Foreign train-
Transfer......
rng suppresses many of the cul-
Greenfee, Tee .
Off Time,
Caddy, Club
Hire, Golf Shoes,
Chair-Lift Tickets, Ski & Boots Hire, GroupÆrivate Lessons, Alpine Guides
t I
tural values that
FOR YOUR
are critical to leadership and organi-
sation building
in
Asia." He points
outthe
tendencyof foreign managersto judge
their Asian employees by their own standards, many times irrelevant to this part of the world.
I
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HfliÆß -f.--L sRr, THE CORRESPONDENTNOVEMBER
I99I
2I
NEW MEMBERS
LETTER Yahoos and bimbos
much of the content, including a large amount of full-colour photography, has been devoted to trivia, including the inebriated antics of a few Club members at social events which would
otherwise be quite rightly forgotten about by next morning' ghlight such act have edit to the Club maga
mone notes
don't know much about production costs in Hong Kong, but
I
the I think man and correspond and appreciate oes colleagues. not serve this purpose as well as it might. Over the years far too
I
have aPPreciat
I have wondered about the extensive
use of colour in the
magazine and the heavy glossy paper it is printed on. I appreciate that absent members such as myself, and indeed correspondent members, who place a high value on information per se, are in a small minority in the Club, and perhaps it is the majority's wish that the magazine should be lavish in appearance even if somewhat lacking in substance. Personally, I would be very happy, indeed I would prefer, to have a less lavish publication that took more the form of a newsletter. lt need not have colour pictures, and could be easily produced by desktop methods at, I suspect, a fraction of the
cost of the Present magazine.
have also long felt that since the magazine seldom contains any real timely information, it could have been mailed to me by surface rather than air mail, with a considerable saving in cost' When I raised this point with a committee member at the 40th celebrations, the answer was that the mailing cost was not really I
featured sPeak
club affairs and news of old members spread around the globe' As one who cares enough about the Club to have made the
" could have found a place in that particular issue showed, to my mind, an extraordinary lack of judgment about the role of a club magazine.
,,THE PUBLISHERS' PATCH"
,o
p",
formafor the
"1¡ present one.
Nick Turner, life member, New Zealand
Who's Who in Hong Kong Communications 1991 3\Z-page book wilh Kong Communicati companies, providi "Conmunications in
The FCC welcomes the following new members Associate Harkishin Bhojraj Chanrai, chairman, Bhojsons & Co (HK) Ltd.
Patrick O'Grady, account director, Leo Burnett Advertising. Nicholas Pelly, director-finance, Arab Asian lnternational Limited.
Bobert Cox, vice president and manager, futures services department, Correspondent
Goldman Sachs (Asia) Ltd.
Paul Dinan, barrister. Jean Hydleman, marketing manager, Coopers & Lybrand. Tlromas Monahan, regional vice presi-
dent finance (Pacific Asia), lnter-Continental Hotels Group Ltd.
Neville Nicholson, group MIS director, Cosa Liebermann Ltd.
Guy Dinmore, chief sub-editor,
Robert Mountfort, photographer/subedilor, Reuters.
ASIA Thailand FCCThailand, 23lF, Dusit Thani Holel, 946 Rama lV Road, Bangkok 1O500, Thailand. Palau Community Club,
PO Box 598, Koror, Palau.
O/d¿rr Miss Sel¡na Nâm Ame¡ican Chamber of
PUBLISHERS SUPPORTING THE FCC
An Invitation to SPace
The only Publ¡cat¡on devoted
to covering SPace Programmes and Space-related businesses in Asia Pacific. Contact Brian at 577-9331 for details sample copy.
Commerce GPOBox355,HongKong
Sadan Pubin SeoulClub, 208 Jangchoong-Dong, 2-Ka, Chung-Ku, Seoul, Korea. Tel: 526'0165 Fax:8101289
Y*
Laurence Zuckerman, Hong Kong cor-
Omaha Press Club, 2200 One First National Centre, Nebraska63l 02, Omaha. Overseas Press Club, 310 Madison Ave., Suite 21 16, New York, NY 1 001 7, USA. The Greater Los Angeles Press Club, Equeslrian Centre Griffith Park, 480 Riverside Drive, Burbank, cA 91 506, USA.
FILIPINO
to enhance your company image among your publishing peers?
NOVEMBER
1991
577-9331
Pittsburgh Press Club, 300 Sixth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222, USA. fel: (412) 471-4644 Reno Press & Virginia Club, 221 So. Virginia St., Reno, NV 90501, USA. lndianapolis Press Club, 150 W. Market, lndianapolis, lN 46204, USA Tel: (317) 237 -6222
Tel:211 3161
for further information.
CANADA Ottawa National Press Club, 150 Wellington, Ottawa KIP 5A4. Winnipeg Press Club, Marlborough Hotel, 331 Smith St., Winnipeg, Maniloba R3b 2G9, Canada. BRITAIN London Press Club & Scribes, 4 Carmelite St., London EC4, UK. The Foreign Press Asso., 1 1 Carlton House Terrace, London SWl Y sAJ Tel:01 -930-0445 Wig and Pen Club,
229l230Sfrand, London WC2R 1BA. Tel:01 -353-6864 EUROPE
Denmark
NewZealand
CAN YOU AFFORD HK$20 A DAY
22 "lÚf. CORRESPONDENT
FCC Tokyo, 7-1 Yurakocho, 1 -Chome, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo.
National Press Club of Wellington, PO Box 2327, Wellington.
TIT,{IG
Manuel Benitez, sub-editor, Soufh China Morning Post. Adrian Bonds, edilor, Epicure. Lee Howard, sub-editor, Sunday Morning Post. Luisa Tam, chief reporter, Commercial Broadcasting.
David Stamp, chief correspondent, Æeu-
AUSTRALIA
telephone no. 577'9793.
yOU CAN then call Ingrid Gregory on
Seoul Foreign Con's Club, 1B/F, Korea Centre Bldg 25, 1 -Ka, Taepyong-Ro, Chung-Ku, Seoul, Korea.
Japan
the HKg2,ooo,ooo,ooo market Th. that everyone has ignored. For details call
Journalist
ters.
Korea
Io
une.
RECIPROCAL CLUBS
Palau
List price: HK$215ruS$33 (incl postage)'
Æeu-
ters.
respondent, lnternational Herald Trib-
Canberra National Press Club, 16 National Circuit,
lnt'l Press Centre, 14 Snaregard, DK-1 205, Copenhagen K.
Barton,ACT2600.
Germany
Singapore Foreign Corr's Assn, 41 Duxton Rd. Singapore 0208.
Darwin Press Club, Cavenagh St., Darwin.
Journalisten Club, Berllins E.V., Kurfurstendamm 224, 1000 Berlin 15
AMERICA
Sydney Journalist Club, 36/40 Chalmers St., Sydney, NSW 2000
Singapore
Honolulu Press Club, PO Box 81 7, Honolulu, Hawaii 96808. National Press Club, 14th Street N.W., Washinglon, DC 20045, USA. Tel: (202) 662-7500
Rugby Club Rugby Union House, Crane Place, Off 314 Pitt St., Sydney, NSW 2000. The Victoria Club, Level 41 , Rialto South Tower, 525 Collins St , Melbourne, Victoria 3000.
Presse Club Munchen, 8000 M unchen 2, Marienplalz 22, Germany.
Holland Nieuwspoort lnternational, Press Centre, Hofsingel 12, The Hague, The Netherlands.
THE CORRESPONDENTNOVEMBER
I99I
23
KNOWLES DOWN UNDER
A tÎoul-mouthed" little man oor old Bob Hawke is stilltrying to
called by the NSW Labour Council to
get to grips with Asian attitudes.
protest against the State government's plans to enact anti-union laws. The hacks, invited by their leaders to vote on the strike call, opted to support it by 772 to 573. This unexpected display of industrial
The Australian Prime Minister has
been pestered for years by Malaysian leader Dr Mahathir, who has repeatedly complained that the Australian media tell lies about him. At the recent Commonwealth conference in Harare the two great men had a heart-to-heart about the matter and came to an agreement.
Every time a journalist in Australia publishes a lie about Mahathir, Hawke will make a public announcement to dissociate himself from it. This undertaking has pleased the sensitive Mahathir no end and he has already forecast an improvement in relations between the two countries. The obsequious Hawke is delighted at the turn of events and has been told by his advisers that he can now remove his tongue from Mahathir's anatomy.
A "foul-mouthed" litte man.
bravado left managements franticly trying to assemble newspapers and
examples of the folly of sending enthusiastic amateurs o¡ journalists' errands. No doubt one of those voting in favour of strike aclion was Michael Easson, who, in addition to beinga card-carrying member of the AJA, is the secretary of the NSW Labour Council. However, to his chagrin, Easson learned that he was not permitted by the union to give interviews on the effects of the strike during the day. The "don't talk to scabs" edict also embraced the NSW Labor Party opposition leader, Bob Carr, who is also a member of the a AJA. The garrulous Carr, a chicken-hearled politician of the modern school, refused strike to endorse
"'-:ï:::e
One British journalist in Harare issued this verdict on Hawke after hearing him repeatedly use the vernacular noun for the act of procreation during an exchange wilh Sydney Morning Herald hackette Pilita Clark. ln common with most seasoned political scribes in Australia, Clark is inured to the Prime Minister's limited vocabulary and his reliance on profanities to express himself. The Brit, however, was shocked and let it be widely known. His words were more wounding than he realised. The diminutive PM used to pass himself off in his passport as being 6ft tall and he hates to be described as "little".
Members of the Australian Journalists' Association (AJA) in New South Wales surprised themselves during the run-up to the October 23 one-day general strike
24
puttogether
news programmes. There were manY
Almost daily there is a new twist in the fascinating battle to take over the debtriddled Fairfax publishing empire, which produces all of Australia's tolerably readable newspapers - the Sydney Morning Herald, lhe Age (Melbourne) and the Financial Review. The government has done its utmost to assist a bid by Kerry Packer and Conrad Black against those of Heinz boss and
lrish media magnate Tony O'Reilly and
an all-Australian consortium, AlN. The government has gone to the extent of bending its own rules on "foreign" ownership in its moves to accommodate PackerBlack. However, it has to be borne in mind that
criticism by journalists and other friends of the Fairfax press who are sceptical thatthe newspapers will retain theirquality if he is allowed to get a large slice of the action. Packer is known as a "hands-on" proprietor. This is a euphemistic way of saying that he does not hesitate to interfere with editorial content.
When the ABC current affairs show Four Corners devoted a programme recently to Packer's business and personal life, including details of his taxminimisation schemes through Hong Kong and the Bahamas, Packer threatened to bring defamation suits against everyone concerned with the programme. This kind of legal bluster confirmed some of the worst fears about Packer. He tried to repair the damage on October 23 by confronting Fairfax journalists on the Channel 9 show, A Curent Affair. The program went three minutes over
schedule, but the producer did not pull the plug. This was nol so much because the show was rivetting viewing; far from it. lt had more to do with the fact that Packer owns Channel 9. He ownstoo much, according onegroup of Fairfax supporters who are concerned about media concentration. This group covers a remarkable alliance of former
prime ministers Gough Whitlam and Malcom Fraser, the man who succeeded
Whitlam when the Labor PM was turfed out of office by the Governor General in 1
975. Fraser, whose political decisions in 1977
Gelebrating 6O million great cameras.
opened the way for the current domination of the Australian media by Packer and Rupert Murdoch, told a parliamentary print media inquiry on October 22 that his actions were, in retrospect, "a tragedy." He would now like to limit press
ownership and enforce diversity by requiring Murdoch to divest many of his holdings.
this is a Labor Party government and Packer is Australia's wealthiest individual.
Packer has come in for considerable
TIdE CORRESPONDENT NOVEMBER I99I
Ron Knowles
Canoil
Canon Hongkong Trading Co., Ltd. 10/F, Minor Tower, 61 Mody Road, Tsimshatsui East, Kowloon, Hong
Kong
Tel: 739
0802
Fax: 369
7701
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