The Correspondent, July 1994

TD

ONIIDNT

Tbe Official Publication of tlse Foreign Correspondents'Club

One Brief Shot: The Chinese

painters' revolution

Not So TricĂž Dicko:

Dick Hughes really Was

a spook?

i

..

:

.

rt

Barron bows out

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Fißt vice President Simon Holberton second vice President Dorothy Ryan

File & Forget with Christine Loh plus

Paul Bayfield,

Mrcus W. Bnuchli, Ph-illipe Le Corc, Dime Stomont, Hubert Vm Es, Nury Vittachi,

a-

hlot So ifrick5r

fDícko

Kevin Sinclair refutes a story that Dick Hughes was really a double agent.

Hans Vriens, Mike Vesdake

Jomalist Member Governors Paul Mooney, Fmnc¡s Moriarty .Associate Member GoYemoIs A.thene Choy, Kevin Egm, Ronald Ling, Keith Shakespeare

ao-

Professiona-l

A lldanifesto Ilurnour:ists

Fof .A.sian

Nury Vitacchi on how some jokes just don't travel

SeoetarJr: Pasl MooÍey

Comittee

Contenot: }ILo'sYËeß

7.3-

Geûting

Tfre Gramd Panjandnrrrr

Intel'viewing Hong Kong's "great and the good" wasn't easy as

as

it should have been 25 yearc ago. Rex E Ellis recalls

the problems

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24

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Getting Clean Away:

One IBrief Shot

Simon Twiston Davies (Editor)

A new book edited by correspondent member Stefan

The Correspondent

Reisner examines the aftistic revolution that China underwent at the time of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

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J]l-ly 1994

Tt[

GoRRDSPoIUTENT

B¡atron Bows Out Before setting out for a rr.evz posting in NTesz York, Elria¡ Ela-rron, the BEtC's distinguiskred Asia correspondent treld a. c<>cktaTl party at tkre FCC to sa)r fa-reuzell to tris Hong I(ong friends amd colleaglres- In ttre coLrrse of ttre erzening, Gorzernor Chris Pa,tten dropped by and said a feqz srords.

After a cool reference to StaffW's decision to drop EIBC rüØoild Senzice lfV frorn its Hong l(ong netwrzork, Patten declared tre szould t>e sad to see Elarron leanze tovzn as, "It's rare f<>r a politiciarÌ 11ot to appreciate a real professional-" Irt fact, Patten reckoned ttrat tre xza-s unlikel¡z to see Elarron again in Hong l(ong unless lre's "learring out of a krelicopter kror.erirrg o\zer the t>allrooûf. a"t Gorrertarrent House".

E,arlier tkrat day F3arroll ga\ze an intenzie'wz to RifHI('s Tctclcl1t prograrn.rre, strrnrning r-rp tris feelings al>out Hong I(ong and Ctrilaa as q/e approa-cl1 1997 - lftre follo-wzing is an account c>f tlr.at l>roadcast-

u

s S E

ù

Dm-"'#-"ïf,ï'Jtrï3,ä:

al's professional" broadcaster has been visiting the Far East, working conditions for journalists have defi-

said Barron. In China journalists are still dealing with a suspicious politburo, aided by public security officials

still suffering the aftermath of the Tiananmen massacre.

nitely improved.

For years, "you could never be absolutely certain what would happen to you. If you look back to the late sixties and eaily seventies, this was a region of instability with the Vietnam

war and so forth," he said.

"Now we have countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore and even Viet-

nam forging ahead economically, changing the nature of the region.

des of the game have been altered and the demands put upon journalists are different."

China, meanwhile, remains the "most under-reported" country in the wodd. But it's not for want of trying,

f don't ttrink qze stror-rld l>e sentirnental al>out ttre corrrrlnrnifY. People understand the realities of Povrrer

Because of that, the

THE cORRxsPoM)EI{r

July 1994

"Vlhat we have to remember about China is that for the Communist Parfy,

information is still a classic tool of

govefnment," feasoned Barron.

"Therefore, to some of the more ideologically-committed hardline ders in Beijing, networks like the BBC and CNN represent a challenge to the orthodoxy and rigidity of their control. " Meanwhile, the BBC veteran remains "rather pessimistic in the long run" about free speech in Hong Kong after 1997. "There is a drip, drip, drip

in the loss of media freedom, especially when you have media tycoons

lsuch as Rupert Murdochl adjusting their policies to the realities of pleasing Beijing," he said.

And as far as the goyernment-controlled Radio Television Hong Kong is concerned, cleady there is a question mark over its future. "After all, Beijing regards radio and television on its

own turf as very much an arm of

government faithfully refl ecting what

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"I think we will see a lot more of those disputes or conflicts in the future. The forces, the pressures are very much weighted against media freedom being enjoyed here in the absolute way it has been for last 2O or 30 years. for'Western correspond-

Beijing, we might get a more flexible or tolerant regime in place that will allow a little more latitude on such things as media freedom way down here in Hong Kong.

"The reality is that Hong Kong is

ents, it is very difficult to hold a firm view about what the authorities are going to do about access to China once Hong Kong is reunitedwith the

going to be part of China and the pfesent afguments about the scale and pace of democratic change, as championed by the governor and

"And

as

mothedand. Everything hinges on Deng Xiaoping and who takes over from him."

However, assuming the Chinese economy continues to boom and Tiananmen is not repeated, "I suppose we have to look on the bright side andbelieve that, gradually, even

As for the commercial television stations, the outlook is no less bleak.

dozen journalists from ATV television when an apparcntly balanced documentary on the Tiananmen massacfe was pulled from the schedules, Barron said they were "courageous" to take an independent stance to protect edi-

the hardliners will realise that iust as you can have economic policies ranging faitly fteely, you can have the media freedom to go with it".

The gloomy assessment that the brightest and best in Hong Kong won't enter the media business because of its inherent problems, "cannot be dismissed," according to

Referring to the resignation of ahalf-

torial integrity.

Barron.

Ba.rron and Tony Clifton: sbaring a bleak tbougbt on

the government thinks and

says.

There ate also some major imponderables oyer local broadcast-

ing

as a

whole."

þost'97

BY

TH E ZOC WHO/5 NEXT./

A REPTILE CALLEÞ MCLUSH./

HUAAP

\\

GENTLEME N OF THÊPRÉSS ARE ALWAYS

WE.LCOME CANÞIÞATES

ARTHUR HACKER

YOU

ÞOISONEÞ REALIZE IT CAN BE UMBRELLAS ÞAN6ÊROUs/

?

\

A^I6 RECRUITIN6 BOARÞ

ÞRY

NOT

/v\ARTINIS SHAKEN NOT

EXACTLY

sTIRREÞ./

RO5A KLEBB/ AAATA HARI./

GOLLY No/

ANÞ PU59Y GALORE./

"But given the political uncer-

tainties over the succession in

I MEANT

BE-CAUSE YOU

ÞANGEROUS

PRESs WA LLAHs

FOR U5.,YOU

NEVER

GRUB 5TREÊT

BLOOÞY FACTS Rì 6HT./

GÍ!

GE-I

opposed by China and its surrogates,

at an FCC lunctr arrd recoLrrìted one of tkre l>ig stories tre trad corzered a. fe-q¡ )aeafs a.go.

the classic'Western sense."

Anyway, Barron added, China is abeady taking over Hong Kong, especially in the commercial sector.

Certainly, reporters and analysts in Hong Kong already have a tough time of things. A "depressing example" was that of senior cadre Lu Ping's

66

fl I-D

acK rn i yðy we were grven earty warning o[ the satel-

recent visit to the territory.

lite revolution.

Lu did the rounds, made one speech "but otherwise failed to address the needs of the Hong Kong people in an adequate way, in the

withdrawal of the Soviet military bear from the Far East with up to one mil-

sense of reassurance and making him-

self available for questions by the local media," said Barron.

"I thought that, alI in all, it was immensely depressing and something of an indication of the way Beijing believes it should deal with Hong Kong."

However, so long as there is stability in China and the succession to Deng Xiaoping goes smoothly and "there is no return to the turbulence that we have witnessed since the reYolution in 1949", Hong Kong should prosper.

"I don't think we should be sentimental about the community. People understand the realities of power," said Barron. ¡@

Í?IE

Mr Gorbachev had decreed the

lion troops to be pulled back from the border with China.

This, indeed, was the rawmeat

of history. After months of negotiations I got Moscow to agree to our exclusive presence.'W'e flew to Ulan Bator and were fêted by the Soviet yodka brass - three kinds of caviar, by the bucket and an interview with the commander-in-chief. Then a Soviet army chopper flew us to

a secfet

nuclear combat base called Borgan in northwest Mongolia.

'We were welcomed by two generals in cavalry boots with spurs - behind them two brigades of healy armour were drawn up. First there was a quick tour of the enormous base the Soyiets were abandoning - we were the first IØestern visitors.

In the communications centre top secret until a few weeks e adier Soviet technicians were rþping out the gear. But on the top floor normal life continued undisturbed. This was the Control Centre, a cayernous room with banks of television monitors. In the middle, in a swivel chair with his back to us sat the duty control officer,

aîafmY malof

.l

.

and watched. His head was lolling from side to side, his shoulders were shaking. The major was in the CrÞ of hysterical laughter. The generals on either side of us began to shake and quake in their boots, then they too joined the fun.

On the screen was Benny Hill in drag, supported by a ber¡vy of showgids in tur bikinis.

I felt that, belatedly, we had discovered the superpower's Achilles heel.

Here in the Control Centre they weren't busy tracking potential enthey emy planes or camel trains

-

were using their advanced technology to scour the satellite frequencies and pudoin the likes of Frankie Howerd

Bilko reruns.

We left the control officer engrossed in Benny Hill's 12th bra. Outside, the T72s started up and in a and

majestic phalanx swept passedus. That

afternoon we cut our TV news story, confident we had a slice of history: the end of the Cold'War in Asia.

Alas, on the other side of the Gobi desert, the stirrings of student unrest were being signalled in Beijing. Our office was no longervery interested in departing Soviets. By cajoling, wheedling and threatenturg we persuaded them to run two minutes - rather than the four they had promised.

On our show, Benny Hill bit the

The audio leyel of the huge moni- dust.

Oh, the ups and downs tor in front of him was high so, despite

\

\

Tbe Guu d.roþs ìn to salt

July 1994

Eadier this ¡rear

Eiriam Elarron spoke

is something that obviously is not going to le ad to one-man/one-vote in

\¿

THD cORRxsPoNttDNT

BennyVision

afew words

the jingling spurs and boots, he was news! tt oblivious to our affival. W'e stopped

Jttly 1994

of TV

@ THD coRRESP0lrItEIlT

._J

A Notion of Shopkeepers Cltrb l\zIartra"g,er Jettrro Lee-À/Iahone),z prorzides a- cur:ta.in-ra_iser on an Arrgust puskr for tkre FCC Ernporiurn q

s È

è

nual income of one of Londons fast food outlets has been achieved by merchandising, rather than food and beverage sales.

I

receive this news with mixed feelings, just like the old joke about the chap whose mother-in-law drives over a cliff, but in his new car - mixed feelings.

"Their sales of fast food are not substantial enough to meet the high rental. They must sell things like Teeshirts ancl baseball caps to stay in busi-

ness," is a common carp from high street hot-dog haters like me.

Trouble is, I very much admire the business but I dislike the product!

In admiring the business, I recog-

nise a positiye attempt to take full advantage of every opportunity to realise a commercial gain. SØith that in mind, I am going to 'push, the FCC

Emporium. The FCC

will rival Sears

Roebuck, Next and Argos. Harvey Nichols, Harrods, Lane Crawford and lloolworth - watch out!

Next month ' s edition of this magazine

will

carry a really big (gosh!),

advert for all FCC goodies. you, the members, will learn of the hithertounknown ... the Wella hair products, the Vienna Coffee, the special recipe THE GoRRESP0NDENT

fI

Freedorrr of Inforrnation is a krot topic in preserlt da¡r Hong l(ong and the FCC arranlgçd a,' def>ate' l>etlrreen tlrzo of its protagonists; one frorrr Hong I(ong and ttre other frorrr London- À¡Iictrael ÀZlacke¡z repofts-

n tne one corner we had Hong Kong's champion of many just

causes, Christine Loh, supported, ably

as it tumed out, by Mark Fisher, a Labour member of the British Padia-

ment and in the other corner well ...um... er... nobody.

As the debate's chairman, Cad Goldstein, said, nobody really wants to oppose the idea of Freedom of Information at least publicly.

-

Jetbro lee-MabonEl bot-dog lrater

J t nas long been rumoured that I more than fifty percent of the an-

File and Forget

This was almost immediately contradicted by Loh - Hong Kong's own Freedom of Information fighter. sausages, the home delivery wines, the FCC watch, etc.

companions in those glorious grounds.

Itwas delightful

- what a fool I,d been to let the desire to visit lie fallow

Golly, we mayevenmake aprofit.

for so long. But isn't that what happens? ìfzhen something is ,on your doorstop' it somehow becomes a real strain to make the effort.

During my first few days in the territoryIhad amarvellous time in the Zoological and Botanical Gardens in Central. Iwas charmedbyHong Kong

Spending Time

I've always liked gardens the - and ones that rate a. capital G are preceded by 'Botanical, or 'Zoological'.

Being a countryboy atheart, I was delighted by the prospecr of visiting Kew Gardens when I originally moved

to London.

Some eight

years later, as I

was preparing

to leave

Lon-

don to come to

HongKonglre-

alised, with

some panic, thatlhadnever gotafoundtoit.

oh,

Park and Kowloon park.

lftre FCC yzill rival Sears R-oel>uck, NIe><t and Argos.

Iaar:rey \Tictrols, Ha_rrods,

I',d

done most of the parks, royal and otherwise. I'd done the Tower, the palaces, museums and galleries. Eyen the Observatory at Greenwich and the zoo in Regent's Park, but I hadn't done Kew. A mad rush ofpacking and a round of farewell parties did not prevent the last Sunday in Britain from being spend walking with three of my very best

-

a

bit big,

Nlot A

generous

hospitality of membe rs, I have lunched on Lantau and lazedandlolled

And

trzatch Out! one. It's

This was "an extraordinary state-

Affatr

said Loh. Extraordinary, but probably accufate.

This was notbecause of some sinister global conspiracy, but simply because in the tidy minds of civil serv-

unless proper human rights - including the right to know are in place,

ants, andthe calculatingminds of poli-

Hong Kong will become

ticians, there will always be the need to file and forget certain items in an out-of-sight, out-of-rnind and out-of-thegoddamned-papers repository.

In the meantime Fisher, who had

introduced similar legislation in Britain, proceededto tease outLoh's argument. He explained that, after gaining cross-party support in the House of Commons and broad support from other institutions and lobbies, his bill had been voted down. As a consolation the government had introduced a Code of Conductwhich, according to

Fisher, "isn't bad".

Professor À¡Iictrael À¿Iandelba-urn, a. sorrletirne foreign policy adrriser to President Bill Clinton spoke àt a rrrid-June FCC lunctreon. À4ictrael lMacke¡z szas ttrere.

on Lamma.

Larre Cranrzford and \üÇzoolwrzof-tla

the

Thanks to

Loh said, with just a úa.ce of indignation in her well-polished tones, that the chie f culprit in Hong Kong is the governor, who had use d a metaphor along the lines of "one gorrernment, two filing cabinet systems".

ment for the government to make,"

so I

last monthlvisited the People's Republic you know the might have to go

agait. Macau is high on the list of priorities.

The point, I think, is that there is an awful lot to do both in and around this town. Don't make the mistake that I did with Kew, it's all too good to leave until the last minute. Some say it's all too good to leave at all. @Q

he speech started badly with a plug for a book that Professor Michael Mandelbaum is a contributor to, and "Editor and Publisher of'.

V/ithin a few seconds, however, things hadimprovedwith the offer of a free copy of the book for anyone who left a card. Then ears perked up, as they were to do for much of Mandelbaum's speech, when he mentioned the continuing crisis on the Koreanpeninsula.

This was an essential problem with Mandelbaum's performance - his audience seemedto switch offduring the

Even so, in language that reminded

certain members of the audience of the publicity that used to go with hôr¡or movies, Fisher warned of the consequences of not having a legal "right to know".

Words like'breathtaking','chilling' and 'grim prospect' were used with respect to Michael Suen, the rejection of Anna.Wu's equal opportunities bill and Chris Patten's attempts to balance human rights while trying not to

non-Korean sections, intefesting though they were. Most people were just there to hear the views of a man who advised President Clinton when he was a presidential candidate, talk about Korea.

To make matters worse Professor Mandelbaum gave a. somewhat testy reply to a question about whether or not he adyises President Clinton today.

Stressing thathe is not amember of the

American administration, his reply

nonethel€ss worked in the phrases "friend of Bill" and "the convention is

offend Beijing.

Fisher's speech included ^warîing that there is "a rcal danger that

-

a

Singapore".

At this juncture the Labour

MP

showed himself a true optimist and suggested that "one way round this" was to stress that freedom of informationwas, andis, amattet of economic efficiency as much as natrral justice and legal rights.

So, can politicians be trusted to give up the perogative to keep unpleas-

ant matters firmly brushed under the carpet? And can civil servants be persuaded to administer that loss?

These are painful questions but they weren't really answered during

the'debate'attheFCC. @

that these things remain private". This could be taken as meaning "yes" to the initial question. And if that is the case, then Bill has had his ears bashed with some pfetty grim prospects recentþ.

Mandelbaum's view of the North Korean crisis was an essentially pessimistic one. "There is ahighrisk ofwar, " said the Professor. If an overt war was

to break out, he continued, it would "not be affab" and,, unlike the ^pretly Gulf War, it would "long and bloody".

Even ifthe current crisis does abate how it does so will have profound

implications for the architecture of American foreign policy management.

And there are other worrying issues that will affect ttre nub of Washington's Asia policy - the US/China relarionship .

Tibet was one and the other two were Taiwan and Hong Kong.'Whilst Taiwan could be the most "explosive", it is Hong Kong that will be "a litmus test of Chinesepolitical development, " according to Mandelbaum.

@

July L994 July

1

Not so Tricþ Dicko

A recent book by Dick Hughes, sola of R-ichard Hr-rghes, pertra-ps the lTìos;t distingr-rished, and rrrost color-rrÍhl, corresl2ondent ttre Ch-rb ha.s l>een able to l>oast, sr-rggested the gleat llaa-la .ñzas a dor-rt>le a-gel1t for tkre Britisla and lìussia-n se<rurity senzices. I{erzin Sinclair ha_s his doubts. \Y/n.n the Hong Kong Press Club W was rbundeà back in the e arly seventies whimsical reporters made Richard Hughes an honorarymember.

They gave him a membership card that bore the number 007.

It

clelighted Dicko vastly. During many of his legendary lunches, he'd screw his battered monocle

into his eye, scowl menacingly

mostly of the diplomatic persuasion, connected with intelligence gather-

around the table, fossick through

ing and analysis.

his wallet (bulging with notes and

But somehow, the legend grew that Dick was more than a reporter

other peoples' name-cards, not with cash) and wave his 007 card in the

of the well-meant use his friends had made of his gargantuan personality in

That was about as close Dick Hughes got, as far as he ever said, to

espionage. In a recently published biography, his son, also a journalist named Dick, says his fatherwas a Cold War double agent for the British, slipping disinformation to the Russians.

SØhat passed between father and

son, of collrse, is something nobocly

will ever know. But

anyone who

knew Dick Hughes (and I had lunch

with him a couple of times a week for 15 years) would find the idea lar fetched, at least in the last decades of his long life.

Dicko scored notable scoops in Moscow in the fifties and was the first reporter to interview any of the bely of traitors who fled Britain when they were about to be unmasked.

His boss was Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, and Dick later appeared, thinlyveiled, as a characterin one ofthe 007 stories. John Le Carré also used Dick as the model for Old Craw in Tbe Honourøble Scltoolboy.

In that pen poftfait (set largely around the FCC) the burly aging newsman/spy delicately cleveloped photo-

graphic prints in his own darkroom.

This occasioned much hilaritv one July 1994

conduit for

bellow. Chortling with huge amusement he'd knock back another triple vodka and give his affable beam as he blessed the table with his priestly dispensation.

Holmes, as he reached for the Chateau Smith trordeaux.

THx coRaf,SPONIt[NT

a

information. Maybe this was because

he would quote his beloved Shedock

è

after a story, that he was

air. "Double-oh Seven!" he would

"You know my methods, 'SØatson, "

Ë-r

Iunchtime with Dicko, Chadie Smith and a bunch of other regulars at the Hilton Grill speculating on the disastrous results of the real-life model for Old Craw trying to perform anything so complex. Dick was the least technical\'minded person on the planet.

He had, of course, manl'friends,

His l>oss.w¡as Ia-n Flerning, crea-tor of Jarnes Bond, and Dick later a1¿1¿eared, thinly rzeiled, a-s a ch.aracter irr one of the OO7 stories their novels. Maybe it partly developed because of his habit of invariably bellowing at a close friend from the China section of the US consulate: "VØatch out, here comes the CIA".

He was fascinated by espionage and frequentlT,, after long lunches, would rerninisce on his hunt (unsuccessful) for Kim Philby. His disdain and

disgust for the British uppercrust traitors was total. "Hang 'em all by the balls, " he'd call out, giving any tardy lady toufistinThe Grjlla case of thevapours.

Dick a spy?

V4ren he was

in Toþo

before

Pead Harbour, he briefly met Richarcl

Sorge,

the cold, arrogant Nazi who

was later unveiled (and executed) as a

brilliant Soviet agent spying onJapan.

Dick harbourcda greaf admiration for the Comintern spy who had wormed his way into the Nazi party and the Japanese military.

time in Laos and other areas of Indochina, long before the American involvement there. There is little doubt that he shared his background knowledge withAustralian and British diplomats back in Bangkok.

Recruited by the Soviets and work-

ing for the Brits? Well, he certainly nevef mentioned it to me. But then, if he had played such a dodgy game, he'd hardly talk about it, would he?

But Dicko in a trenchcoat and fedora doing a Third Man down a back alley?

You can'thelp smiling. The image of the huge figure sneaking ftlrtively down a dim-lit lane to keep a secret rendezvous is an unlikely spectre. I've no doubt Dicko exchanged views and

news with his thousands of sources.

Who doesn't? If he heard something on tlÌe grapevine, he would doubtless check it out with those who might be able to amplify. But a secret double agent peddling disinformation to the Kremlin? No, I doubt it.

There can have been few hu-

man beings in history less likely to

be overlooked than Dick Hughes.

Not just his physical frame, but his personality was enormous. He inevitably drew attention to himself.

If youwere a KGB spymaster, would this be the sort of fellow you'd recruit? Would you feel happy that the thoughts of Lenin were being rigorously observed by a 2801b Australian who retained to the end his broad accent, who wore a Prussian monocle, blessed his pals like a cardinal and, as he whacked back his fifth or sixth triple vodka and prepared to attack the strawberries swimming in a pool of kirsch, trumpeted: "Death to commie dogs!"

I think not. Dicko was many things; philosopher, writer, joker, good husband, bad Catholic, above all, a giant of heart and dear friend.

But being an unobtrusive agent may have been least likely of his attributes.

About the closest Dick Hughes came to beingJames Bond was carrying his Press Club card OO7.

Durìng the fiÍties, Dick spent much

@ Jrtly 1994 rf,E

0oRRESP0NIIENT

'Where the error reveals something about the writer or wfitefs.

1.

Exømþle : Seen in

"Staff wønted

a

trade magazine'.

for

Koreøn

As s o ci øtí o n of Profr e ød e r s. "

Cleafly, the need is urgent.

A Manifesto for Asiatr

Ilumourists

2. wn

n the context makes the

rnistake relevant: Exarnple: Featured

Kenfil Netus is a clever piece of software called Grammatik'Windows, which proofreads your work to provide completely error-free text.

struction, " it s ays. It utill sþot

"Grammer [sicJ end style errors" sucb øs "Incorrent

Is it politicall;r incorrect to find h.urrrour in cross-cultural botctr-ups?

Ir{ury Vittackri starrds in judgerrent and finds hirnself at least partly guilty as ctrarge

[sícJ Verb Fortns" and Infintiue [sicJ usage". But you need " 1MB extented fsicJ rnelnory.".

If this proofreading gear is so great why don't they use it themselves? terribly insensitive man at work in tlj,e Soutlt China Morning Post. He had a tendencyto be imperialistic, he displayed gross cultural insensitivity, and was sometimes facist.

Irt us refer to him as Mr. X, which is not his real name. ([Iis real name was NuryVittachi) I am looking back about six years, when there were two wellknownAsian'snippet' columns in circuhere used to be

a

lation: Traveller's Tales lnthe Far Eøste rtt E co nom ic Re u ie tu, wnLten by Derek Davies, andLai See inthe Soutl¡ Cbina Morning Pos¿ written by myself.

In those days, both columns provided a staple diet of fairþ puerile snippets

-

examples of ill-spelt Eng-

THx cORRxsPoilDENT July 1994

hotels around Asia, that sort of thing.

I soon started to realise such items

one thing he did not understand: the thousands of little adjustments and misunderstandings which occur when

were wfong: they were "linguistic chauvinism", impþing that skill in one particular language gave the speaker

different cultures interact is a part of normal life in fast-modernising Asia.

He eventually left and Lai See, work-

some sort of superiority. I started cutting them out, and Derek Davies became King of the Silly Menus.

ingwithhis readers over severalmonths, worked out a middle path of political

Then my section acquired a new editor, who was so politically correct

written manifesto of Asian humour

lish, bizarre-sounding notices from

that he would have made Hillary Clinton look like a Ku Klux Klan party whip. There was a blanket ban on all tales of humorous cross-cultural misunderstandings.

This was not a good idea.

He was a nice guy, but there was

correctness. This became a sort of un-

which I still use to r¡et out contributions .

I continue to get hundreds ofcon-

tributions (from Asians and'W'esterners) of the linguistically chauvinistic varie|y. These are binned.

Generally speaking, the ones al-

lowed through the gap are on the following lines:

Wlrr"r^the rnistake is on an unusually large scale, such as the I(WOLOON sign emblazoned across the Eastern Corridor by the tlong I(ong Government:

Exarup

le : U

AQueensway cinema in

Admiraþ is showing a film called .ANDSH]/IOE

SLIBINGS"

according to the words erected outside. Further investigation reveals it iS MCANT tO bE ..HANDSOME SIBLINGS".

in an edition

of Hong Kong trade magaziîe

"Grammatik proofreøds your wríting for tbousands of writing errors. It giues you immedía.te, on-screen feedback on mistakes in grarnmer [sicJ, style, imþroþer sentance [sicJ con-

thîs letter' dare You to Print

4.

face value.

know a few

Chi-

nese words. So they adopted the only words they knew. The resulting names were:

MrJoe San (Mr Good-Morning) Mr Maai Dan (Mr Bring-tbe-Bill)

Ms Yaub Lok

pot€ntial advertisers byT\¡8. This is from the synopsis of Moby Dick, on

(M s I -Wa

February29: "Wben Abab finally sights tbe buge Moby Dick, be steers bis sbíþ rígLttfor the ubale In a desperate effort to esca.pe, tbe wha.le caþsizes."

Don't remember THAT happening in the book.

6. I reckon

names and product titles that change meaning when

Exømþle:

(Ms Straigltt-Abead) n t-To - G

e t-

Off-Th

e -B

A Dutclt brand of sugar: "Donkee Basterd Suker."

A Jøþanese confection: "Cbocolate Negro Balls."

South American tínned fish: "Grated Fanny."

AHongKongbrøcomþany: "Hung Fat Brassìere."

A Jaþanese cookie: "Snot."

)

us

Anyuray, that's a rough guide to the shape of our manifesto at the moment. Opinions and feedback are

welcomed.

Incidentally, you may wish to ask what happened to the silly menus? Have they completely disappeared?

No. Many such contributions are classifiedas linguistic chauvinismand scrapped. But others survive, because the misspellings give the menu items

wonderful new meaning.

Exømple: Marc Rouen of Business Trauellerhas been collecting menu items from around the region. Here are some favourites: APPETISERS:

A

it said. Clearþ somebody hadhadit up to here with Christmas.

'Westerners only

advance matetial sent out to

Example: Sandra Brown of High West, Pokfulam, was shopping at UNY in Taikoo Shing, Hong Kong, just before Christmas, when she came upon an abusive sign in the SANTA CLAUSE"

that they were ìØesterners. They wanted to have an internationalflavour to the gathering. So they said: "Please couldyou use Chinese names instead of 'W'estern ones." But most

MsJik Heui

equallyby everyone who cfosses borders.

.STUFF

Example : A delegation of Hong Kong businessmen flew to Singapore to an international conference. The organisers were disappointed to find

Examþle:Hugh Chambers of Hong Kong Telecom was studying the

3. Wh.". amistake accidentally

soft toys department.

shortcornings:

Sometirnes the columnist plays

a disingenuous role, playing the fool lry taking an ertor at

transliterated are fait gatne, since this is an obstacle faced expresses a worthwhile truth:

7. Vesterners tendto like teasing themselves about their linguistic

Half Fresb Grøpefruit.

Sbrimps in Sþit.

MAIN COURSES: Drea.ded Veøl Cutlet Bøcon and Gerrns DESSERTS

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Hong Kong Govemors to condescencl to be interviewed by the local lackeys.

Inde ed, it's not that long ago since engaging in palaverwith princes, presidents and prime ministers was easier than gabbing with a Governor.

Now, of course, 'Chris' can be seen out and about pumping the flesh almost anytime. He made a big media push just before the recent Legco vote

on democratic relorms.

His consort, 'Lav', has been given acres of column inches in which to air her views on uncontroversial matters good works, of - all in the name of course. And'Chris'has been asked just about every question under the sun except forhisviews on O J. Simpson

-

and mostly he has answered them.

But in the old days governors didn't

Eø

Late night supper 12 a.rn.

Frida¡ Saturday and eve's to public holidays.

58 62 D' Aguilar Street Lan Krvai Fong Cenrral Hong

Interl/ieuzing tkre Hong l(ong go\zernor rrray l>e an aknost et eryday affair f<>r journalists in 1994, but 30 years ag<> it üzas a rare 'prirzilege'- In 196A, ho.Rzerter, R-e>< E. Ellis did rnana-ge to I?ass befrincl ttre protective screell of tkre pouzerft l Gorzernrnent Inforlaaatiora Service -

Te[: 525 7410, 525 4117

ñ ir'

I

il tu

(

il V

;,( i\

even give 'impromptu' news conferences - on the rare occasions when they made public appearance at all.

Certainly, individual interviews were an unheard-of luxury.

However, once in averyrare

whle,

perseverance and a spot of psychologybrought unique success, as on the occasion when I recorded a one-onone radio

interviewwith Governor Sir

David Trench. To the best of my knowledge it was the

fi

rst'ever electronic

interview granted to

a local

reporter by a Hong Kong Governor.

This minor journalistic coup occurred in 1968.

In those days, Commercial Radio still believed in the spokenword.

It augmented its regular - written for and generously deliverecl by messenger to both

newscasts

- with Dateline Hong Kong, an evening interview radio stations by GIS

pfogfamme.

In those days reporters chatted with urban councillors, the only poli ticians around in the late sixties.

Dateline Hong Kong also interviewed visiting celebrities. Government officials were on the menu when reporters colrld breakthrough the protective screen thrown up by the GIS bureaucracy.

Then in the summer of 1968 Dateline conceived an ambitious Year End project. The news team proposed interviewing heads of state and government leaders throughout the region.

The idea was to look back ar.1968, and forward to 1969, through the eyes þ,rly 7994 THE coRRf,SPoMlEilr

ry

with

GIS were re-opened and that's where the psychology was brought to bear. rù(zith Suharto and other big names already on tape or committed, we argued that Hong Kong's image would not be enhanced if it was represented by a spokesman, however articulate, rather than the top man.

That finally did the trick, although not before the series ofyear-end programmes had started airing.

But in the week between Christmas and New Year, accompanied by an aide-de-camp, I was chauffeured out to Fanling Lodge in a government limotrsine where Sir David and Lady Trench were spending the Christmas break.

The lead said: 'The Governor, Sir

David Trench, was confident the economy of Hong Kong would have another good year, and wages and standards of living would continue to rise at the same highly satisfactory rute

in the past few years.'

Perhaps the key quote was 'we will continue to pfeserve stability in as

the colony and to expand the colony's economy'. Yes, the word colony was still politically correct then.

On matters outside Hong Kong the SCMP reported that: "Asked how large a role Hong Kong would play in SoutheastAsianregional co-operation,' the Governor said he believed it was a limited one. 'Nevertheless, I think it is a faifly significant role.'

Not heady stuff, but good enough giventhe constraints of the times. And

lfhat's hoq. delicate affairs s/ere in the xtake of Hong l(ong's 1967 riots szittr the

The Correspondent Readership Suruey

the interview ranged widely as Sir David put Hong Kong into perspective in

a

way never done before.

Over a post-interview drink Sir David was not a relaxed raconteur, but he did reveal a little about the life of a

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colonial Governor.

Like the present resident, he chafed at being cooped up in Government Holrse. But he couldn't escape so easily and missed being able to have a good meal in a Chinese restaurant as he'd done regulady in his eadier days in a less senior civil service post.

Meanwhile, my Sihanouk interview fell through drre to technical reasons. Our flight sponsor had dropped out at the last minute.

There was a sequel to the ground breaking interview with Sir David Trench.

Smoke rose over Broadcasting House as incensed Radio Hong Kong officials demanded to know how a Governor dare grant an interview to the commercial competitionwhen he had his own govefnment station.

Ruffled feathers were smoothed some weeks later when Sir David agreed to a more personalised radio chat with Radio Hong Kong.

Although the precedent had been set, a gaggle ofGovernors and a repertory company of reporters came and went before Governor interviews became accepted practice.

After the orchestrated media relations exercises of the current incumbent do I hear wistful cries for the

returnofthe goodolddays?

Ij{rnwo*ntsPorltllrJrttYTgg4

@

Two runner-up prizes; Cooper's Beer A case of Cooper's Dry or a case of Cooper's Original PaleAIe

All you have to do is complete the survey orrerleaf, tear it out of the maglzine and return it to the address shown or drop it in The Correspondent mail box next time you visit the Club.

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Jttly 7994

THD coRRf,sP

IN YOUR SEAT IN HONG KONG AT II.OO

Get CleaÍrAway ttre blast fi.rna.ce heat of ¡ret anottrer l{ong l(ong srrrnrner already uporrr us, tkrougtrts of crisper clirnates and frestr sea. l>reezes corne to rnind- Luckil¡2, tkrere are holida¡z destinations offering iust sìlcle deligtrts .vrzitkrin a. felrz hours flying tirne frorrr Hong l(ongEtottr l(a.gosh.irtra,, I apan,a.rrd Peitou, ifa.ilrza-ar, are rerìoszned for tkreir h.ot spring resor:ts lrzkrere )rou carr soak a.v;a_y )zoLrr cares vvhile enjoSzing ttre clean opela air- And if ;zou prefer a, rrìore rrraritirrre troliday, crtrises are finrally l>ecorning popular in Hong l(ong. \ùúzitla

.g

s I

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g q-

agoshima,Japan

'While most tourists find Toþo trendy and Kyoto suitably temple-encrusted, the Japanese themselves prefer to spend their summers in pretty

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But the Japanese don't come to Kagoshima for spiritual reasons. They come for pure, simple, physical pleasure, for Kagoshima is considered the

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ñ

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Et

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I

I'

HoNG KoNG

I

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Continental Micronesia

UAM

covered up to their necks in hot black volcanic sandright onthe beach. Closer

to Kagoshima is the charming

cotton robe called yukøta. A double room with traditional tatømi mat and

I 200, which includes the services of a

for

kimonoclad room attendantwho brings

its traditional onsens orhot spring spas.

fresh green tea when you arive, and

situated in Kagoshimaprefecture, many

where the manager keeps them

as

-

pets.

Smaller, and stillmore romantic, is

$

Over a hundred of the best on€s are

heard from behind the front desk

the charming little 12-room Ijinkan

heaven. In fact the whole of southem famous throughoutJapan

the whole place the mellow feeling of one big slumber party. And the soft, comforting chþ of crickets can be

old

nation's Number One hot spring is

Down in the lobby and throughout the krn'srestaurant, everyonelolls about in slippers and evering yuk ata., giving

Furusato Spa Hotel with an enchanting outdoor hot spa just above the ocean.

Mixed bathing is allowed, nay, tequired. But everyone must wear awhite

sliding paper doors ovedooking the glittering Sea of Japan costs about

Kyushu I

situated inside or attached to charming Japanese hotels.

The most famous hot spring region is lbusuki, about an hour's bus or taxi ride from KagoshimaCity. Herevisitors can enjoy a natural "sauna bath" while

rolls out your warrn and fluffy futon

when you're ready to sleep.

Hotel, situated north of Kagoshima in a dense, story-bookpine forest. The fairy-

tale feeling is continued in the European-style bedrooms with brass-posted beds, polished wood floors and fluffy comforters. Butbest of allis the Ijinkan's

tiny sulphur hot spring spa where the mixedbathing rule is a traditional "towels-only" affair. On the evening of my visit, I was invited to share the bath with four lovely youngJapanese girls, who giggledthroughout ourbath hour.

*HoNG KoNG ltME GuaM 2 HouRs aHEAo

Jttly 1994 TIE coRRxsPolrltElrT

The name 'peitou' means 'northern

Like most Japanese metropolises, Kagoshima is spotlessly clean and virtually crime free. But, unlike so many Japanese cities, it's a small town of just 500,000 people and is also quite beautiful. With its breezy seaside location and leafy tree-lined lanes, it's easy to see why Kagoshima has been designated a sister-cityto Naples. The Mediterranean mood is enhanced by

sojourn' in Mandarin. Although the settlement has been in existence for about 70 years, the natural sulphur springs were used for centuries by the native Taiwanese. However, it wasn't until theJapanese took over the island in 1910 (and held it until 1945) tlrrat Peiton was fully developed into a resort. The Japanese administrators of the island recreated a Japanese style slrmmer retfeat in Peitou to escape the humid air and congesrion of Taipei a Japanese version of India's Simla or Malaysia's Genting Highlands.

In the rnid-sixties Peitou became rathernotorious as an adult playground

Sakura-jima (Cherry-island) a smoldering volcano which looms

above Kagoshima Bay and has more than a passing resemblance to Italy's Mount Vesuvius.

After dark, Kagoshima comes alive with scores of lively bars, discos, festaufants and nightclubs, far less costly than their counterparts in Tokyo or Osaka. Naturally, there's

plenty of karaoke bars, but

for off-duty American GIs on

Ka-

goshima boasts Kento's nightclub where both the music and the singers are very much live, and where Rock & Roll is still King.

Other Kagoshima attractions in-

leave

from the Vietnam'W'ar. Most of that is gone now, and much of the charming mountain village atmosphere which the Japanese first built still remains.

Feel the urban tensions slip er.way

tbe Kagosbimø Prefecture Regional Office, 12tb Floor, Bank ofAmerican Tower, HørcourtRoad, Central, Tel:

The mountain itself is riddled with natllral hot spas and sulphur vents which bubble up from the depths of the island and most of these have now been tapped by more than 70 small

clude lovely but lonely Cape Sata, the Land's End of Japan, and Kirishima National Park, location of over 2Ovolcanoes where nature lovers can hike along miles of well-marked trails.

877-1696.

built in the sixties, but

Peitou, Taiwant

For me, though, the steamy, dreamy charms of Kagoshima's hot spring spas can't be topped.

Jaþanese Aiilines flies direct to Kagosbima euery Monday, Tlcursdøy ancl Friday. For rnore information on sþa lcolìdays in Køgosltirna, contøct

While most travellers think of Taipei as one big urban sprawl, jusr a 45minute taxi ride north of the Taiwanese capital brings you to Peitou, a hot spring spa village tucked neatly into the rear side of the mountain that overlooks the northern snburbs of Taipei.

been designed to blend in with lush and wet mountain scenery, so that yoLl barely notice them until yollr taxi tums

hotels. Some are ugly concrete boxes

many haye

off the.winding road into their

tfances.

Surely the most attractive hot spa inn in Peitou, and the only one which pre-dates Wodd'W'ar II, is the charming Whispering Pines Inn, (called In

r:'

"

totally relax and unwind, to catch up on those novels you've always wanted to read or to get to know someone special better.

After checking in at the little reception area, you are escorted to your ta.tami matted room, where you'll notice you have your own private hot spring spa which is tapped from the spring running under the Inn. Change out of your restrictive street clothes into a loose and relaxing yukata and slippers and you can already feel the urban tensions begin to fall away. Sip some of your green tea while sitting on

the soft reed mats and your blood pressure continues to calm clown. Soak for a half hour or so inyonrhot spa and

LANKA

r

MALDIVES

I

PHILIPPINES

House, 30 Hollywood Road,

25t6

Originally built

as an

exclusive club

for the Japanese rnllitary, the Shann Garden today is an exquisite little tea house which offers ten different types

ovef agaln.

Across the courryard from the Garden

Meals can be brought to your room

at vifiually any time of day, but if you're feeling more outgoing, simply exchange your room slippers for a pair of wooden stree.t clogs (available from the old lady in the lobby) and pad your way across the quiet, leafl' road to the enchanting Shann Garden Tea House.

ñ-.

-(

_-*

L)

a

| | l,usr¡s¡z

t

SRI

far from the nxadding crolad.

you'll begin to feel like you are 17 all

"il ri9r¡û¡¡

.

Very, uery

of tea; try the 'Wu-li tea, which is a house favourite, a q'pe of jasmine.

kl!¡#,+l^! om.l

Trekl<ing.Whitewater rafting . Jungle Safari . Mountain Biking . Scuba/Live aboard diving . Classic motorcycle tours (Enfield 500cc) . Golf

July 1994

and nasty like game rooms, televisions or business centres. This is a place to

f

for action holidays with a clifference ...

THE coRRESPONIlnNr

There's no organized activities at

the Whispering Pine, nothing noisy

r(ã)¡ mforNÑ^

r

i,,NEPAL.TIBET. BHUTAN

2063.

')

zeY2itø },,o[íòqa/s ;ii;ì;üÉ*;iËi+:11;::r

en-

Soong Ger in Mandarin). There are only t2 rooms, so reservations are an absolute must. lùØrite ahead (2 1 Yu Yar Road, Peitou) or telephone 891-2037 /

is the Taiwan Folk Art Museum, a creaky old wooden building filled with crafts, tools and weapons from the aboriginal tribes of Taiwan.

After all that book-reading, hot spa-bathing and museum-going, your

next stop should be the Mongolian Barbecue Restaurantwhich is situated just next to the rWhispering Pine and

the Shann Garden. The restaurant is spread out on a huge open-airveranda which, on a clearday, looks out across the plains of northern Taiwan. Af[er a long day of sleeping, sipping tea and catching up on Anna Karenina, tl:ie menu includes just what you need tender chunks ofgrilled beef, chicken, pork and squid, with plenty of excellent cold Taiwan beer.

Cruise Holidays in Southeast Asia For decades manypeople were of the view that holidays on a cruise ship were only for departing civil servants.

Air tickets, hotels?

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Y'1:';

órdinqry cnd crrcmge your business trcvel, but we speciclise in the extrcordincrry.

Yes, we cc¡n book the

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ef¡b'

Room 301, Union Comme¡ciol Building, 12 - ló Lyndhurst Terroce, Centrol, Hong Kong Telephone: 54I 6208 Fox: 545 l0ó2 Telex: ó9ó50 CRAIG HX Licence No 350114 Member IATA & HATA

d loÌ 8fr¡,M.!ù ¡4 d¡hb r;ú o. ! h....r d .w ..! F.s ¡rd4 FFrr rü:

ffßrÆ

rr..:lfl9 ??.ur..l l.JL!

Jtrly 1994 THE coRRxsPoilllENT

cruises the remote islands around Pala-wan in the PhiliPPines.

With ten twin-bedded air condi-

But in recent years, the international cruise industry has focused onyounger travellers and today's cruise ships are

healthsp

literally floating resorts with enough

lies, which won't eYen accept passengeri unless theY have children' and

daily activities to keep even the most acÍiv e vacationer happy.

Douglas King, executive director of the International Cruise Council, a Hong Kong-based consortium created

to introduce cruising to the teffitory, says, "I think that cruising is an absolute natural forHong Kongpeople. It's just never been propedy publicized.

The assumption that cruise holidays cost a fortune, take forever and are boring, arc alltotally wrong. " S7hat many people don't re aÍze is that the average age of cruise passengers has droppedfrom 58 to 43.'What's more, there are different types of ships for different travellers. If you want to wear a formal di¡ner jacket there are ships for that. But if you want to walk around in swimming trunks and T-shirt there are cruise ships for that too.

"Imagine this massive resort takingyou from one exotic destination to another in total comfort, with specialists in everything from aerobic and

and24-h are crrris

áthers which will not carry children' "There are adventure cr-uises to the wodd's most remote places, there are cruises to glamorous islands and ports and there are even educational cruises with lectures bY famous au-

ñ

tioned cabins and a crew of 12 including two cooks, this is a real Tom Sawyer-type cruise, where passengers get to visit small islands with no air strips and where no shipping lines touch.

There's

a

oF{ Ø a,) À ì.{

small restaurant, serving lob-

sters and fresh seafood, plus a mini bar packed with chilled San Miguel. This is a strictþ a swimming trunks and T-

Å ìt 1r Ë

I

passengers fe el like old friends. Activi-

the Manila-

an 8O-footaranwhich

819-0290,fax:

819-0289. E

Þ È è

G

oFl

ties include snorkelling over some of the finest coral reefs in Asia, strolling

there on a cruise shiP!" One of the more PoPular cruise holidays for Hong Kongers seeking to visit r;mote islands not previously

(J

c

shift adventure where, after a few days, all the crew and your fellow

along deserted beaches as white as baked salt, morning fishing sessions off the ship's side and mixing with fishermen and their families living in seaside thatch-roofed villages on remote tropical islands.

F or rn or e info rrnøti on o n four or seuen d,ay cruises conta'ct Cruise €t Holel Centre, Inc, Mariþolø Building, 109 Perea Street, Legaspi Village, Møkati, Manilø, Tel: 815-3O08,

Ø Ø

ñ

è

sa S

One of ttre Hong l(ong tran el industry's l>est kept secrets. Just four trogrs frorrr =Hong l(ong- INo ta><i çfaleues, no traffic ja.rrrs, no l-aggling, rro hassle. Suza¡ting pakns and shirrrrrrering q.trite l>eaches - A.zttre lagoons .wzittr unsl2oilt coral reefs teerrring szittr rzil>ra.nt life and cololrrFirre-star 1.€:soat trotels, spectacLrlar sports facilities and an orzerqzhekning selection of lr¿odd class golf collrses - -ferry Duckkrarrr frorrr -A.siaPi>< reports frorrr Paradise. ¡ts n. once sleeov Pacific islands of I. crrurn ,r,o saìp"n have grown into modern resolt metropolises. Their

classic island beauty is fringed with five-star service and amenities which now attract more than one and a half million visitors annually.

W'ith the Spanish, German, JaPanese andnowUS govemments making claims on these islands they are home to alively, cosmopolitanpopulation. Theìn-

Guam is the largest af

dences of

its 133,000 local population, it is amazing how much of the

islands' exotib coral reefs, or for really

islands remain relatively unspoilt.

Both Guam and Saipan offer long

close encounters of the underwater kind, a guided dive tour of the islands' spectacular reefs and shipwrecks. Both islands were the scene of some of the Pacific's fiercest fighting during Wodd

stretches of untouched coastline

with rugged limestone cliffs rising above sheltered

share their islands with an eclectic mix of Europeans, Filipinos, Japanese, Ko-

IIigh p¡..'

time in heaven' othefs prefer the hile lolling in Japanese hot springs is some people's idea of a sfort pampered luxu ry or a pivat .I,,iilu in suli. oreria uv club member Petel Yg^i: :ix1t:-t:t3,.*:":f'.::1t1

r'i,r'L'.riuv

';*;åî;ffiñ;;'ä;ã;ul.'ott'u"-.t'eap.us$1,e601t_*91ÎtfîYïlTljJlTTi (above)isarw:i:1ï.:'ffli:Tj:,1::'^:'[ii: ã;li;;;;;;'ö;;;;äîË;;;',i;'i*-pi"p."v ";;;;;ii* most or rheir dme out or Indonesia and when thev ilñä;älä;åä]iii

;öö;.ïä;¡ã

are home they stint themselves on

nothing. Neither need rhe payingguests'

says

Rieger'

EE l'¿À

Of course none of this is Particu-

stones and relics of ancient Chamorro villages and explore

rùlhile resort development has been

the island's indig-

prolific it has also been well planned.

enous wildlife. The

Guam and Saipan are

comfort and ameni-

a part of the Micro-

ties of the resort hotels are never faraway though. The intrepid

nesia islands and,

the name

as

suggests,

theyare allverysmall.

Tbe comforts are

neuerfar anttay

tùZar II and the wrecks of aircraÍt, tanks and ships are still scattered about above and belowwater.

larþ new. Resort hotels all over Asia can offer similar attractions. But, for the stressed-out Hong Konger wanting to get awayfromit all and just sit by a pool with a cold drink, a good book, lots of attentive service and luxury

discover the latte

East,'W'est and Pacific traditions and culture.

If jungles don't appeal then there is always the submarine tour of the

sandy beaches and Here the more adventurous traveller can

exciting hybrid of

an hour or less of experiencing them.

coves, rain forest, fringing coral reefs.

rean, Chinese and Vietnamese creating an

Price

have his feet up around the hotel pool,

sipping an exotic cocktail while telling tall tales of his adventures within

digenous Chamorro

Bali

f)st 2I2

square miles, some 30 miles long by eight miles across at its widest point.

Considering its 24-plus hotels and resorts, more than 25O restaurants, a military base, not to mention the resi-

accommodation, nowhere else offers such a convenient destination. A comfortable four-hour flight, three times a week on Continental Micronesia, ancl

sensibly priced weekend packages with the beach and hotels just minutes away from the airport makes Guam and Saipan an ideal destination.

@

jungle explorer can

Jttly 1994 rHE GoRRESPoI|IIENT

r

One Brief Shot Dr_rring the sllort CLrltural Spring that l?receded tkre cra-ckdoxzn ofJune ag.ag, a gfoLrl2 of chinese paintefs e><pfessed ttrernselr.es in a rerzolutic,alla;ry way- Vernon R.arrr spoke to Stefan R-eisrler, the a-uthor <,rf a rtesz book cata]<>gt-ring those tready days'

p Iz

u.n though

he isoften to be spot-

ted taking a break at the bar, Wocbenþost correspondent Stefan Reisner's teutonic reselve mttst be recognised for what it is: a cultivated smokescreen.

A journalist who came to Hong Kong

as a representative oÏ

Stern maga-

zine before he switched

to Wochenpost, Reisner recentlY achieved a considerable feat with his book, Cbina Auant-Garde. His mission has been long and ardttotts, but rhe ultimate result is the first definitive Jrrly t994

book on China's avant-garde painters and artists.

Cb in a Au

ant-G arde, C o unter-Cur-

rents in Art and Culture, Published last month in English and Chinese by Oxford University Press, captures in

Haus der Kulturen d.ie WeltinBeflin.

Inspiration for the project came from

a German catalogue which marked the opening of an exhibition of the works of 16 avant-garde Chinese artists in Bedin in 1992.

liberalisation that preceded the crackdown on dissent after the Tiananmen

"As the first exposition of modern art in China during the post-1970 era, it revealed the great diversity of new talents and voices of China's younger

massacfe.

generation," said Reisner.

The book was researched and coordinated in tandem with Kai Reschke, Reisner's German editor at publishers

artistic community in China has

words and pictures

a

vision of contem-

porury Chinese art during the brief

Mrs.

H Jin,

199O,

oìl on cant'lts

Since the 1970s, he went on, the Continued on pøge 26

Jtrly 1994 rHE coRRxsPoNItEI{T

Street Theatre, 1991, d.iþtych,

Lose But, No.

ContÍnue

d.

from

I, 1988/91, ntixed,nedir¿ onþnþer

ity of this exhibition that it

þ r.ge 2 4 a series of

explosions of energy and activity. "The Arts Moueruent of 1985 led the way with the founding of journals such as Beijing's Fine Arts in Cbinø and the staging of exhibitions, performances and group happenings throughout the country.

"On February 5,1989, the exhibition Cbína/Auønt-Garde opened at the Beijing National Gallery. A rifle, fired during the installation of one of the works, brought in the public secuexperienced

oil on canuas

rity forces and the exhibition

was closed on the opening day."

Despite that, the excitement generated by the show could not be suppressed and many of the artists featured have since gone on to greater heights and international recognition.

Some of the credit, according to Reisner, should go to the culnrral wing of the German Embassy in Beijing that arranged to present the works of these artists at the exhibition in B eflnn 1992 Suchwas the impact andpopular,

Tf,D coRRxsPolmxilr

July 1994

was mounted again in Oxford, Rotterdam, and Odense (Denmarþ. At the end of this year, the show is scheduled to go on a six-city tour of the United States andCanada.

The exhibition's main attraction besides the contemporary Chinese paintings was its focus on

formative biographical and explanatorynotes, Reisner's bookhas themerit of being an authoritative reference book on Chinese avant-garde art and

the evolving of the cultural scene as reflected in the cinema, classical and popular music, fiction, theatre, painting, sculpture and photography.

A landmark exhibition so wide-

visuals andtext between some 40peo-

-pattern

ranging in scope and significance, it a wider market

artists who have surfaced and devel-

oped during the past five years.

/

Getting all this between covers, Reisner confided, was a monLlmental

t

I I a ll

task and involved co-ordinating the

ple in Germany, Britain, China and Hong Kong. "The experience was

\

nerve-racking, but it turned out to be

worthwhile," he said.

The core of the book examines the careers of 16 of China's most ac-

was realised, deserved

complished contempofary artists and

than its German cataloging could reach, particularþ when it was unveiled in Oxford. That was how

is illustrated with colour reproductions of selected paintings. It also in-

Reisner, Reschke and the Oxford Uni-

ists andincludes colourreproductions

versity Press got involved in the English and Chinese imprints of Cbina Auant-Garde - Counter-Currents in Art and Culture.

Lavishly illustrated and with in-

of their works.

The book is on offer to members of the FCC at a special discount price

Il' t-f

I I

I

ll a

il

I

cludes information on another 44 art-

of $45o.

E

The Big Bright Day, 1991, oil on canuas

Jì]ly 7994 rHE 0oRRISPoNIIENT

-T---

Cocktaíls for Chugani Indians in the Hong Kong media, amajotity of them members of the FCC, turned out in force for a June cocktail party in honour of Michael

Chugani which had been organised to celebrate his recent appointment as Editor of the

Hongkong (Tiger) Standard. Chugani is

viewed by his peers as a Hong Kong success story, having risen from the ranks as an interncadet to his present position. En route, the one-time Hong Kong Journalist of the Year worked his way through The Star, China Mail andTVB to become ahard-nosed and respected

newsman whose responsibility it now is to craft the Standard's style and policy in the crucial years towards and after 1997 . His friends teasingly describe him as the new driver of the Standard "through train". On hand to join the felicitations, besides the Indian journo bloc,

It can only be the oldest hands who

re-

member his arival, but remarkably Gilbert (Tiger) Cheng has now been at the Club for 22 years. To celebrate such stamina and his perpetual good humour, a small

gathering of staff and members sank

a

o

glass or two in one of the Ice House Street

uppef rooms.

were guests Bob Harilela of the Council of Indian Associations, Chades Smith, Arthur

Fifty years of progress was the theme of associate member David Adami's recent birthday pafly at the Club. Held in the'$Tyndham Room, assistance was at hand from plenty of other members and a chorus from the local'Welsh choir.

Hacker, and Ray Cranbourne.

Micbael Cbugani and. Venton Ram: tuaitíng

for

tbe tbrougb tra¿n

Another Pulitzer prize winner, Peter Arnett, formedyAP and nowwith CNN, dropped in on the FCC and Charlie Smith for some k øraoke style singinglastmonth. Both, we hear, thought their own voices were wonderftrl.

'::.

Introducing

,:i

'Cloudy hut.fine"

One of the Club's most distinguished photographers, Pulitzer prize winner, Eddie Ädams, made a brief stopover in Hong Kong in June as part of a wodd wide lecture tour. He also found time to sink a few beers and present the Club with a reproduction of his groundbreaking photograph of a Vietnamese war execution.

The picturewill hang inwhat is now becoming known as the Vietnam Room within the main bat area.

THE GoRRESPoNIIEI{T

July 1994

"Lo.;ng evenings v,ith

sutttmer líghts"

Summer forecast

for August

It's hard to credit, but former Club president Guy Searls had managed to escape a trþ to the altar

for

all of his first 70 years. Then love struck and he celebrated his marriage to Ursula Yeung at the FCC in June. Best Man Bill Smylly reckoned the Club had played a big part in the romance. A member of more than 40 years standing, Guy had met Ursula at the FCC back in 1983 when he was leading training sessions for young journalists.

at the F.C.C.... ...a pedect forecast

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{l

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Ju.Iy 1994 rHD CORRDSPoNIIENT

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porterXiYang on specious charges of violating'secrecy' laws.

The first edition carried a stark black and white cover with head shots

of the two most recent victims of Beijing's moves against the Hong Kong media, Xi and Gao Yu. The presentation was reminiscent of the eyocativeJune 4 banners commemorating the Tiananmen Square crackdown and set a grim mood, posing, as it did, the question of who would be next.

Foreign correspondents already know of Beijing's unpredictability, but the sudden and arbitrary enforcement of vaguely-defined re.gulations and the harsh penalties served on Hong Kong

media representatiyes illustrate how times are changing. At particular risk, it seems, are mainlandnationals covering the 'sensitive' economic and social

story.

As the first two issues of On tbe Record make clear, its publisher, the Hong Kong Journalist's Association, and founding editors are also con-

cerned at other threats to the integrity of Hong Kong's press. These take various forms, among them media manipulation by powerful govern-

ment and business interests, low standards of reporting, self-censorship, timorous publishers and compliant editors,

Ca¡ada

.Winnipeg,

he launch of a quartedy media review, On the Record, coincided with the arrest in China and iailing for 12 years of Ming Pao re-

2c9

As if on cue, a tussle atATV, one of the teffitory's two main television stations, burst into the open last month when six news editofs resigned over a conflictwith their management, which had sought to drop a 'sensitive' com-

On this occasion, the journalists

won the day and the footage

was

shown, featuring as the centrepiece on ATV's owî Merliø Watclt ptogramme the following week.

On tbe Record's bilingual features

and analysis are well focussed and genefally positive, an attempt, in the words of HKJA chairman Daisy Li, "to encoufage media wofkefs, academics, people who are concemed about the media and media consumers to contribute afticles which discuss the performance of the media ... to encoufage improvement."

There is no attempt to compromise news values

- often tagged by apologists as being exclusiyely'Western - under the guise of 'nation building','development','sensitive' and other such cop-outs. However, Keung Kwok-yuen, Ming Pøo's managing editor, does take a shot at'W'estern agencies for "misleading" reportage on certain issues (e.g. Russia) and makes a spirited attempt to praise certain third wodd agencies, including Xinhua, as creditable altematives.

The section entitledlnsid.e Story takes errant editors to task, exposing

their follies and more suspect practices - the widespread use of blatant advertorial and PR pap, for example.

Tlee Soutlt Cbina

Morning Post's

classic full wrap-around of September 18 advocating the choice of Beijing for the 2000 Olympics (in reality, four pages of paid-for space) comes in for

special admonition and sets the scene

Spanish footage of the final show-down

for a debate on the political correctness or otherwise of the term 'proBeijing' and'pro-China'.

Publishers take their share of criticism, too, particulady for a lack of support for staff, teal aîd perceived.

The "capitalist elite's" desire to con-

in Tiananmen Square.

trol whatever

memofatiYe pfogfamme containing

is

is ranked alongside that of Beijing au-

tocfats.

The second issue is devoted

mainly to "the sorry state of business

and economic reporting here." It looks at the inaccessibility of company executives, compafes the English and Chinese language treatment of financial news and highlights the inabiliry of immature business reporters to grasp the chance when a business leader such as Cheung Kong's Li

Ka-shing delivers himself into their midst.

T}ee Soutlt Cbina Morníng Post comes in for rare praise for its leading part in persuading the directors of Sincere Co to reverse their decision awarding themselves a special bonus that exceeded the year's profits.

It appears to be open season onthe

media in Hong Kong: the right of access to information and news has become a lively topic in itself; members of the Legislative Council have called on ATV to account for the Tiananmen incident; the Governor, ostensibly a free press advocate, adds his own support occasionally before running for cover when issues become entangled in politics; and the men from Beijing chip in now ancl again.

On tbe Record has a role in the debate so long as the enthusiasm and objectivity of the editors and contribupeople, academics and tors - media scholars is maintained. It has started

with a good spread of issues and shown a grasp of those awkward ideas often regarded as irrelevant and oldfashioned in Hong Kong such as -

ethics, standards and principles.

If nothing else, it should help to make the des of the game clearer.

The old dictum, that a society inwhich rights are unknown or doubtful is no better than slavery, is apt here.

¡æ

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