The Correspondent, March 1995 by The Foreign Correspondents' Club, Hong Kong

I Tbe Official Publication of tbe

of Hong Kong

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PLIJS: BIJR\[S' NIGIIT ... SIIEP'\VOOLLEY ... NEW. MEMBERS...IIOPE FOR IIACI(S

THD CORRXSPONIIDNT March.1995

THE FOREIGN CORRtrSPONDENTS' CLUB

Correspond€rìt Menber Governors l'îul llr)'fìeld. ìlarcus W Brrtt< llli, I{rìbcft Vîn Ds. Nun Viltaclìi. Cîrl Goldstcin (Hon), Iliclìîcl Wcstlakc Secreta n': Nun' Vitt¿ch¡ Journal¡st Member Governoß Stuârt Wolfcndlle. Francis ì{orifl rq' Associilte Member Governors Àthcne Chol'. Kcvin ìjgxu,

Cor-edines

I-unctraines FlÌtrìrc shock for hacks; 'I'he Chinese in space; More grim news

Phitil)Pc Le Corrc Dianc Stonìrolrt.

to ttre Editor:

The Governor at tlìe FCC

2 Lo\\'cr -Albcrt Roa(|. Hong Korut Tclephonc: 521 l51 l Frtx: tl(r8 í092

President Sinìorì Holbertorì Hans vricrìs First Vice President Second Vice President - Dororb)' R) arl

Lettel:s

ao.

lVfedia l\4a.tter:s

Chris Patten at the FCC

Anledcâ's TV giants come to Hong Kong

L2-

Book

FRer¡ies¡

An optimistic view of the

ftltrre

Rorìald L¡nta, Ke¡tlì Slìrkespcîre

Professional committee C0rt¿rerrorï Hfl ns \¡riens Jrcrr¿r"rsi Pîul Ballìcld. l4îrcus \V ßrauchli, Philippe Le (Ì)rre. FmDc¡s ìl()riâmv

Finance Comittee Tretsurcr: Doroth] R) an S¡non Holbcrton, Keitlr Slìrkcspeare Menrbership committee ()), t rc

{

u': H\bcrÍ

17-

lBarside 'Whatever

Ilafrter:

becrme of

reps?'

VÃn Es

aa-

Entertainrnent Crmittee C¡¡n t,¿nr¡r: Nun Vittach¡ J/øllr¿ìs. Nlarcus V ßrauchli, Rorìirld Ling F & B Comittee

2()-

Wall Comittee flubcrt \'în Es. Br¡b DrÏis

Publications Colmrittee Co t t'e r¡ r. Paul Bl'tìeld ,llentbers: Francis }lor¡aq'. Hubcrt t

Press FLelations How not to clo it

llentbeß: Keyin Egrn. Keith Shrkes¡reare Micbîcl Wcstlake

Coil t'enor: lrhilippc l-c Cr¡rrc ,l.Ienbcrs: Kev;Jt Egarì. Atllelìc ChoY

14-

Backbencher: 'Slho does Alan Castro speak for? Het'e cotne tbe giants

Personalities Stop the presses!

22-

EBurns'frTigtrt From bard t() ñ'orse

t t

\¡xD [s,

Nun' vittachi, Tcrr) Duckhlm. Peter Cordinglc)' (Editor) FCC Geneml !f înîgcr: -Jet[ìro Lce ]hhone!'

24-

The Correspondent EDTTORIAI, OFFICE Pcter Cortlinglcl,, Editor Ilrfion Bourke. AssistaDt Editor 2 l-ower ,\lbert Rofld. IJorìH Kong 'l'clcphorre: 2i2l lill Fax: 2868 í092 O 199i l'hc Foreign (i)rrespondcDts' Club of Horg Kong Opiniorìs exprcssed bÌ wdte ß in The Corrcsþonderrl ire not necessîr¡l)'thosc Of Tbc Forei¡¡n Correspondeots- Club

( {

The Correspuulerf is publishcrl nronthlr bY Tììc Fore¡gn Cofts¡ronclents Clnb of Htrrg KoI¡¡

aatel-taiflarreaat

An er-ening with Shep Woolley

26-

Hole to Hole O¡'stefs, banqllets and the Mongoliafl expefierce

2a-

Social Affair:s

32-

FCC Faces

Aft er-dinne r

tl.te r ta

PRODUCTION FSf L¡ne Des¡gn & ì)rirìtirìfa Fourth Floor. l5ll We llington street, Centml, Hong Kong Tct: 2i2 I 7991 Frx: 2i2l a366

Publisher-

tan Hrrling

Marketiûg Direclor Kat¡e ]lcGrcgor DTP Artist I-icDna- l)uong. .loe\ Lcc

Cover photograph by Kees

March 1995 THE cORRf,SPOilDElrT

inm

To the

+-#{:

Editor

of the Marilyn Monroe saga to me but being a smart-assed young knowit-all, I rejected it all

rearrangement of them to suit some layout artist's fancy. If the FCC is seri-

off

ous about showing serious photo-

In my 20-odd years as a profes-

graphic exhibits, thenmaylbe so bold

suggest

that such exhibits

sional photographer I have had to suffer the heavy hands of picture editors more times than I care to remember, but nevef as consistentþ or as inexplicably as my recent experiences with The Correspondent. .ù7hen someone

should be treated seriously and professionally ... and changed a little more often (that way everybody would get lots of practice and these little mistakes might be avoided).

chose to recompose myportrait of Saul Lockhaft , (FCC Faces/Novemb et 199 4 - Saul actuallywent to alot of time and trouble to get his desk that cluttered), I didn't have very much to say about it. Obviously a big mistake. Imagine my surprise, not to mention disappointment and other related emotions, when I removed the February edition of The Coruesþond.entfrom

TerryDuckham

its safe-sex wrapping to discover that the same person, or someone who

learnt their layout skills at the same sitting, had cropped more than 20 pet ce nt of my front cover photo so that it fitted nicely into their layout. To add insult to injury they then ran a cover line about the "Art of Terry Duckham". I hate to tell you this, friend, but if it was art, it stopped beingartas soon as you start chopping it up. Not satisfied just messing with the front cover, our talented friend then decided to recompose the photos published on pages 24 and 25.I thought that removing the second pair of hands

from the underwater photograph was a particular stroke of genius, only to be challenged by the printing of the roller skaters back-to-front. The zoom-in on dwarfwas reminiscent of Mr Lockhart's

W'rinklies know best, says Ted Iwas deeply distressed (well, mìldly perturbed, actually) to leamfromyoung Cordingley's Frorn Ih e Editor column, that the new-look Tbe Comesþondent, will no longer welcome reminiscences "about wdnklies".

You therefore deny members a rich source of information on a club which, like it or not, is deserving of a history and possibly an archive. For example, one such "Oldie" might have put your "Media Matters" correspondent right on the subject of President John Kennedy' s extra-marital activities when he (seriously, I suppose) reported that, and I quote, "The

And while I've got my foot in the door, I just thought I'd mention that last week inAuckland, I had a few hours of enjoyable reminiscence with Bruce Kohn, a forrner FCC committee member and now one of New Zealand's most highly regarded PR consultants. Some of the things he had to say about Hong Kong icons would make riveting reading. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, Peter. The FCC is what it is today largely due to the efforts of the wrinklies and a large majoùty of them are success-

fully keeping senile dementia atbay, believe it or not. Ted Thomas Perbaþs because oftbe rauages oftbe ageing pro cess, Te d faile d to sþ ot tb at I ut as beingfacetious about utrinklie s. Neus about øll members, þast and. Ed þresen\ ís most utelcorne.

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about his womanising", unquote. Had the wrinklies been asked to commerit, it would have been known that the entire'W.ashington press corps knew about John Kennedy's ProPensity to throw a leg over an¡hing that

February issue. This annual affair should be given more coverage in future toumaments to interest members to mingle and watch some rrery absorbing matches. As a regular participant in the tour-

and more.Your entire EOS-1N system

twitched.

naments and one who frequents the

Hong Kong at the same time as BobbY Kennedy's visit, told me, and eYery-

pect, know a thing or two about what's reallygoing onin the coridors ofpower.

pr€ss corps genuinely didn't know

preview of the exhibition of photographs that is to hang a

sþondentwil not make the same mistake that I did in refusing to listen to older members who, as you might ex-

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I am glad thatThe Corresþondent gave some coYefage to the snooker, billiard and 8-ball toumament in irs

portrait and I do stand corrected, the Balinese dancers do look much better in orange than the original red. It was my understanding that the front coyer and the inside pages were supposed to be

History proved that the wrinklie in this case had the right stuff. I sincerely hope that The Corre-

Thoroughly hacked

to listen, thatJFKwas shagging everything that moved in the W-hite House and its environs and that all the Vhite House correspondents knew of it. He also related a detailed account

Frances Lara (AFP),

one else at the old FCC barwho cared

basement circuit, I would like to express my appreciation of Tony Craig and his committee v/ho deYote much time and effort in the smooth organising and conduct of the tournaments.

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--t

The Governor

atthe

FCC

iftre Gorzernor, Ctrris Pattela, g<>t a good <ytizzing srhen tre delir¡ered a h-rncheol1 slJeech to the FCC- But, asks Nzlictra.el l\4acke¡r, did rrrerrrl>ers fail to ask tkre ol>r¡ious question?

f t ir dilficulr to capture the essence Iof a speech by Chris Patten. That said, what he had to say to the FCC did not lack value either in the sense of a

look on the governor's face was one of deep ptzzlement, as if a professor's favoured student has demonstrated a

startling lack of comprehension.

solid news story or in offering valuable

Rather than maintain the embargo

insight into the frame of mind of the Hong Kong governor. The news story surfaced when Patten revealed he had flip-flopped over the vexed issue of Hong Kong civil seryants working with China's

on contact, he gave the go-ahead for

Preliminary Working Committee. True,

took two questions - one from Jonathan Mirsþ, the other from Steve Vines - to get the matter resolved, but at the end of two rather verbose answers, there could be no denying that the policy had changed. Interestingly, both of these answerswere deliveredin the manner of a denial and an attempt to clarify. 'When Patten got up to speak in response to Steve Vines' question, the

the attendance of Hong Kong civil servants at seminars being organised PIùØC on harbour reclamation and Hong Kong's role as an international financial centre. "I'm sure that officials from the

by the

Hong Kong government would be happy to take part in that seminar and to give the benefit of their experience and advice, if asked," he said. In response to Steve Vines' question, he became more frank. "'W'e haven't yet

had an invitation. But I'm sure we would want to respond to that positively," he said.

The main thrust of the governor's speech was a defence of the

€ ._è

}4arcll 1995 Tf,D

GORRXSPONIIENT

.TREfrITS

tñ I )+ ttr economic policy that has made this barren piece of rock one of the wodd's biggest and fastest-growing financial centres. Patt€n undertook this task with relish, savouring the announcement that growth in what is, to all intents and purposes, a mature economy is still high. "I'mhappyto be able to saytoday that the initial estimate for actual growth in l994is 5.7 per cent spot on our predictions last year," he declared before reeling off more statistics to drive home the point. Not that he ran away from problems.Inflation, he adrnitted, was something that hurt the entire community. "$le sympathise; we are not happy with the rate of inflation, although last yeat I can say it was lower than the year before. lf'e will continue to do all we can to tackle it in the year ahead," he promised. This, it appearc, is not going to be the case with the property market. Whfe Patten defendedwhat he temed

the "prudent measures" his administration had taken to "target the speculator, not the genuine home-seeker", there is going to be no action this year against the market.

"We refused to interfere directly and damagingly in the market when it was roaring aheadlastyear.-W'e are not

going to intervene or interfere with market decisions this year either," he said with just atrace of defiance in his voice. As FCC members are a well behaved bunch, there was no collectirre groan or call to arms from those in the audience who pay several limbs to live somewhere decent.

There was a passing reference to the recent bout of speculation that the Hong Kong dollarhad been subject to.

This required a clanfication later on when Philip Bowring put in a question on the Hong Kong-US dollar peg that, in other circumstances, could have got his face slapped.

asked a qr-restion tttat, in ottrer circurrrstalaces, cor-rld tra'rze got tris face slapped-

The luncheon speech also contained what was to be possibly the governor's last public defence of the doomed Central Provident Fund. "More doesn't just need to be spent on the elderþ, it deserves to be spent, " he said. Not just be cause they have made Hong Kong the prosperous place it is, he explained, but because "a society that cares for the elderþ and the disadyantaged is, I believe, one that is more likely to command the respect and affections of all its citizens".

Just as there were contemporary problems that the goYernor did not

h1 'W

much more problematic, fusing, as it does, not just economic but political and even diplomatic elements. "Some people have such doubts,"

ready effecting Hong Kong. A recent .!flodd Economic Forum Competitiyeness Report ranked the territory only fourth amongst the wodd's most competitive economies. "Insecurity about China's intentions after 1997was cited not, note, by me but by them as

- factor pulling Hong Kong down- the

rankings." So what is to be done? The first thing is to concede the complexity of the problem. Chris Patten freely did this in a part of his speech that, bear-

ing in mind the bloodshed that usually

goes

"How far are you willing to go?" asked the former FCC president. "The peg stays till we do," came the reply.

s + 7t

shy away from, neither did he evade the more long-term problems affecting the potential of the Hong Kong economy. Here the ground becomes

said the governor, and these are al-

Philip Bovzring

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with the end of empire, went

woefu lly under-noticed. "A peacefu l transfer of sovereignty is a rate and complex thing in itself; a transfer that guarantees the way of life

and prosperity of the people being transferred

unprecedented,

" he

said.

Did the use of the word "unprecedented" mean that Patten was a pessimist about what he would be doing in the next two and aha\ï years? Or did

mean som€thing much more ominous, such as Hong Kong becoming part ofthe pattern ofviolence that has gone with the ending of colonial status elsewhere? 'We

don't know, because, to our

discredit, we did not ask.

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Future shock for the rnedia say goo<lbye to laev\zspa-I2efs a-s )¿ol-r knowrz th.errr. f'hzrt, rel2orts Ì\zfichael l\4acke¡z-, s/as the rrressage from l\4ich.ael Bloornt>erg a-t a_ ch-rl> lr- ncheon. Speaking at the FCC, the founcler of the Bloomberg wire services(andafewothers things besides) began in another incar nation that of the

media guru as comeùIr Bloonlberrr and clttl:t Presiclent Sirttt¡n Holbertr¡tt

small wiry man, Michael Bloomberg is ser,'eral different personae rolled into one bundle of energy. The first among these is salesman, but not the second-hand-car sort; 1'ather sonre restrained but convincing media salesman who, without being

intense, is a Believer.

How the Chinese got into

diencethatitwas "nice

to be in a place where OJ isn't

ír

the

newspapef." rùlhat Bloomberg spoke onwas the infbrmation supedrighway, a subject that has so fär moved only nercls and technolog1' worshippers. Things, though, are about to get shaken up. " The infonnation superhighway has

there is proof that the FCC has had a CIA operative in its t last

midst, however fleetingly. His name: DrJohn Koehler, president and chief executive officer of the Hughes Corporation for the Asia Pacifìc. What's more, in a luncheon speech, he was quite honest about his secret service background.

Introduced by Board Member Marcus W. Brauchli, Dr Koehler addressed the club at a highly topical time, right after the loss in flight of the

March 1995

until now it had been in the form of newspapers. "The question is, can an electronic one be clone?" Before he answered that, he backtracked a little for the sake of those of us in the audience

who ate still rambling down country roads, rather than speecling along the supedrighway. The wodd is divicle d into random or seqnential access media, he explained. Newspapers are a goocl example of the former and broadcasting of the latter. "A newspaper tells 1'ou things that 1'ou need to know, but weren't smafi enough to ask, " he saicl. "It has an editor who decicles what news is fìt to print," he added, perhaps a littlc naively.

Chinese Long March rocket, with which Hughes was involved. As for the CIA, Dr Koehler did work for it, although he never speci-

During the Sixties, the Clúnese programme grew in capability, despite being hampered by the Cultural Revo-

fied which part of it. His speech, both in content and style, made the point very cleady that it was defi-

years was to become the Long March

nitely not the sleazoid smuggle-andsmear wing.

added with the capacity for surve ifance and scientific applications, such as re-

with

source mapping. Manned space efforts

Even today, that legacy is still

lution. From this grew what in later series oflaunchers.

ln the Seventies, some depth was

¡urr. quential access media you to that want the bit to wait nntil up, although comes watch or hear ie , 1'e¡1

modern technologymeans that all that is abolrt to altet as personal computers and television screens me1'ge and create menu-driven news. "The medium that a news¡raper is

going to Ltse to get news to YoLl is going to change," said Bloomberg. Before the end of the decade, newspapers that are not made of paperwill be downloaded via a cellular phone. "The technology is not only thete, it's in everyday use," he said. "The eco-

nomics really make sense for you to clo this." This is where the consequences start. Those with jobs on the paper and ink side of the newspaper indttstry had better stafting looking for different employment. Journalists, pro-

viding we don't fiddle our expenses too much or have too many clashes

with the eclitor, look set to have more job security. Back in broadcasting, there are just as manl' changes on the way, bringing with them greater problems

The trouble was, he admitted, that it was

technician, flot

a money

memory of this time is of a "gruelling struggle". "It seems we briefed everybody in Washington at least twice,"

there was " mutual concem about what

and dinner and other business meetings they quizzed us," reported Dr Koehler.

going to payfor the programme?

fornia, but in Minnesota they are. "Aîd they were stored in Texas," he saicl of a recent case inAmerica. "Vlhose laws

he said. But afterlegislation had gone through Congress, and after approval

from COCOM, which monitored hitech exports to Communist countries, a special five-year agfeement conce ming satellite launches was approved. This deal was recently extended. The Chinese have now launched some 40 satellites, which is not many compared with the former Soviet Union, but "not triyial byAmerican standards". More importantly, and perhaps

more instructive, was Dr Koehler's conclusion. "The message is that they

Abuse all atound us he only thing of any cheer in the

luncheon speech given to the

applT'?" Mr Bloomberg asked.

FCC by DanJones, heacl of the British section of Amnesty International, was

In response to a qlrestion from Philip Bowring, Bloomberg offered a reply very similar to the one that got

that there are people in thewoddwho think highly of journalists. No, not our mums and clads, but

Rupert Murcloch into so much trouble

the human rights lobby, with whom tlre media have a symbiotic relation-

with China. "Technology," he

saicl,

to control information . . . and they

"has taken away governments' abiliq'

ship. Ratherthan see us as a cunningly malevolent group of expenses-fiddling,

can't plrt the genie back in the bottle.

privacy-invading clesperacloes, the

of this technology is inexwhen done in volume, ancl it

human rights movement is open in its commendation and public praise.

"Al1 pensive

doesn' t need infrastnrcture. The Third

'Journalists, unlike govefnments,

Wodd can become part of it," he

do a great job," Jones said at the start of his remarks. Ancl then it was on to what was almost a litany of despair. The statistics of the situation that Amnesty International has to deal with rate among the wodd's most depressing. Last year there were some 4,500 prisoners of conscience. There woulcl have been over 5,000, but some 600 prisoners died under torture. To make matters worse, a disturbing 114 mem-

added later. \ù7hat about Bloomberg's expansion plans, he was asked? "I haven't checked in two days, so it has probably increased, " came the reply. Keep

sending in those CVs.

¡@ did it . . . and they did it themselves with the jump start of German tech-

bearing on any great stories of the day, so the serious hackspresentwere chomping at the bit when questions

lem than Beijing. Dr Koehler's

l956.The Chinese, by sending lots of cadres to Moscow, "pushed it hard and quickly", said Dr Koehler. This had produced results by the time of the Sino-soviet split of the late Fifties

Example No 2: Pictures of naked women are lÌot pornographf in cali-

cannothave given too bad an answer, because Hughes and the Chinese started to work together during the mid-Eighties. 'Washington proved a bigger prob-

To those of us who were interested, but kept missing the point, the good doctor explained that it was "a very similar pattem of development lto that of the United States and of the Soviet Unionl, but with a lead time of about a decade". "Serious stuff," said Dr Koehler in a tone that managed to imply that he was impressed with what the Chinese had managed to do. In 1983, the Chinese "very boldly decided to go into commercial satellite launching and, in doing their research, they came to El Segundo. Over lunch

who

nology," he said.

were dabbled with but forgotten.

the other was doing". The core ofthe speech, though, was a resume of the development of the Chinese space programme. China's significant space technology began with captured German technology and scientists, which were passed to the Chinese via the Russians in

than those affecting print. Example No 1: Menu-clriven TV woulcl allow the viewer to remove all adverts if he or she wantecl. It sounds great, but

man, who ans*eréd the question about fees - a remark that got the laugh it deserved. StiI, the technician

him

as he reported there is what he termed "an unspoken bond" between him and lús Chinese counterparts derivingfrom that ColdVarperiod, when

space

THE 0ORRf,SPONIIEI|T

dian, by telling the au-

been with us a long time," he said, only

By contrast, TV and radio are se-

Despite how interesting the speech proved to be, it had no direct

meaning that many of the signatories of the UN's Convention on Human Rights are violating the convention. "The wodd is changing, " saidJones,

who, for all the mournful nature of what he had to impart, nevef once lookecl or soundecl depressed. The only

were opened. DrJonathan Mirsþ pursued the allegation in the Beijing-backed Ta Kung Pao that the Long March's explosion was set off by the satellite. Dr Koehler's response was an excellent example of how to make a little information go a long way, and be

diplomatic about it. "It's hard for me to tell you the background because I can only speculate . . . not productive to take extensive issue . . . obvious errors of

fact and physics . . . it would not serve our purpose or any other serious player to sabotage . . . I'm not sure how I'd do it."

ber nations of the UN use tortlue,

Michael Mackey

emotion he publicly allowecl himself was deep thought as his mind mulled

over the enormity of the tasks that Amnesty International has set itself. 'What change there is on the human rights front is r:arelyfor the better. tùl-hereas old-style show trials and mass trials are much less common than in the past, all around us there is still "an

epidemic of human rights abuses," said Jones.

"Publicity is the thing that governments hate," saicl Jones, adding that

this explained wlry journalists have now become, along with teachers and trade unionists, the major victims of human rights abuses.

Michael Mackey

March 1995 THE GORRISPOìIDENT

Channel in SingaPore, as are sports channel ESPN, Home Box Office and MTV.

BrianJeffries, of the insiders' Sþa.ce Report: "There is atussle betweenHong Kong and Singapore on which is to become the regional centre for satellite transmission. So far, Hong Kong has maintaineda lead because of STAR TV and Says

America's TV giants come to Hong Kong CI\{NI and

tranze girzen a resorllìding

rzote of confidence to Hong l(ong b¡z clroosing to set up rna-jor nelvs-gathering operations trere. \zanrdine Englamd tra"s l>een talking to the ke¡r playersNTETC

perspective from this region as well, to be able to respond better to those kinds of criticism." A short walk away, in a largely empty room in Admiralty, NBC television is planning a 24-hour-a-day Asian business news channel. It is to go to air some time "in earþ summer". Unlike CNN, which has a global transmission channel ready and waiting, NBC was dismayed by the failure of the Apstar 2 satellite to get airborne onJanuary 26. Still, the show must go on and NBC says its plans have

not changed.

Ensconced in Turner International's smartAsiaheadquarters in Central, she recalls withfondness herfour years as a freelancer in Hong Kong 15

years ago. Now she's in charge of bringing Asia to the wodd through CNN's new Hong Kong-based production facility. "I'm quite happy they chose Hong Kong, she toldIhe Corresþondent. "I

like this city, I like working here. I think it's a gfe,at news town. For a lot of reasons, personal and professional, it's a great place for me to work." On March 27, Cable News Net1tr0

CORRESPoI|DENT

March 1995

work will begin its first-ever nightly newscast co-anchored and co-produced from Hong Kong and Atlanta, Georgia. The half-hour global news prografirme will give more space to Asian news coverage than ever before, and will carry an Asian face Patricia

Chew

wodd.

to CNN viewers around the

Liu acknowledges that, in the past, CNN has attracted criticism for being too ,{merican. "By being here," she says, "we want to open ourselves up,

we want to be sensitive to what the otherperspectives are. And lwe want]

to take a look at ourselves with

CNN. and nowwe have CNBC, APTV

production

course , if Hong Kong maintain its lead,

facility based

is at Wharfsstate-

is to

Beijing will have to make it clear these

of-th e-att

services will be welcome after 1997 .If it does not, then Hong Kong's lead could be eroded to the ftirther benefitof Singaporc."

Tsuen 'Wan

offices,

where four CNN staffers

Kong at a time when Singapore is making a concerted push to get companies, and especially media companies, to look on the city-state as their home. Walt Disneyis basing its Disney

addition,'we want to create moments

for interviews, anaþis, profiles, cttltural stories, interesting people or interesting developments. " As to why CNN chose to do all this in Hong Kong, the short answer is that Turner Intemational already had comfortable offices in Asia Pacific Finance Tower, on Garden Road. W.hen the choice was being made, Singapore was not even a prime rival to Hong Kong. The large CNN bureau in Toþo was a bigger draw, but the costs of satellite transmission out ofJapan were iust too high, explainsTumer'sAsia-Pacificput> lic relations director, Lisa Prestwich. "One of the other reasons we de-

cided on Hong Kong is that Hong Kong has a trained pool of television people," adds Prestwich. "If you go to Singapore, where doyoudrawtheTVexperienced pro-

soring journalists is in the air in Singapore,"

ducers, editors, technical people? From only one place, because there's only been one TV station in Singapore up until quite recentþ. "SoHongKong

says Salama, who shouldknow, following her time there with ABN. Referring to the recent coult case involvingtl:,e International Herald Tribune, she says: "There are many $ cases like that where

reprimanded the media. So it is always a conceÍr. [But] it wasn't that big a part of our decision to locate here. Hong Kong is the business hub." The 52 staff tecently hired in Hong

from Europe, and you have a channel that follows markets around the clock. There will be programmes in Mandarin, J apanese, Hindi and other Asian languages, as part of the network's desire to "not be seen as'W'estern but as part of the landscape here in Asia, " according to NBC executive vice-presi-

dent Tom Rogers. Dollarfigures are hardto come by, but it seems clearthat NBC is prepared to spend more on its Asian operation than it did to launch similar program-

will

because

STAR TV,

Donnø Liu, Senior Producer, CNN

Kongby Salamawillbe patof a2OOstrong team producing 10 hours of business headline news, interviews, market coYerage and regional news for broadcast by CNBC. Add the 11 hours of business news to come in fromthe United States andthree hours

"Hong Kong is the financial gate-

these stories on a regular basis. In

"Theissueofcen-

being broadcast to the United States and Europe by NBC. The network is also working on what it calls the NBC Super Channel, which will carry documentaries, sports, enteftainment and "everything else" to Asia's wired-up

way to Asia and China," says Salama. "Any business which opens in Asia usually has its headquarters in Hong Kong. As a business network, it's only logical to be in Hong Kong. It's the base point." This is cheering news for Hong

extra reporting network, Wharf

Cable, for general news. Liu and her team catt use'Wharf s local coverage, while Wharf has access to CNN'sinternational news.

TheCNN

the government has

households.

aî

and Reuters TV. Of

managing editor for CNBC, NBC's newAsiabusiness channel, was poached from its main competitor ir.ì. regional business news, Singapore-basedABN. She says some Asian business news previews are already Sasha Salama,

onna Liu is happy to be back.

monthly Asía Pøcific

ming in Europe. The plan is to break even in five years. Over at CNN, there's a mood of quiet confidence. It already broadcast an Asian business news section out of New York and has secured access to

had

two ter-

restrial stations and

WhadCable -lrad a lot more trained

produce

the day's Asian news. Four? Liu

TV types." The7997 factor

laughs,

did not seem to per-

shrugs her

turb either CNN or

shouldersand

NBC when they

says: "That's $

plannedtheirHong

CNN's style."

Kongheadquarters.

Sasba Salama, tuIønaging Edítor, CNBC

The live daily newscast will remain global, rather than Asian. "The concept is to create a place in CNN programming where we

can focus on some of the regional issues. But it's not going to be an Asian newscast. It',ll be a wodd brief," she says.

"I would like to

see consistent

coverage in the region of the stories

that are considered impofiant in the region, stories that sometimes may not get the attention they deserve in other parts of the wodd. I would like to bring a consistency to following

The murþ future

crossed their

minds, but no more than that. Says Liu: "Well, 1997 is always part of the discussion but, based on the general sense of confidence expressed by other people we

workwith

in Hong Kong - and, also, our experience with our Beijing bureau has always be en good

there's no reason

to expect that we can't just contiriue rightthrough."

Formerþ with Reuters, Vaudine England freelances for print, radio and television.

March 1995 TEE

CORRDSPOITDDNT

An optimistic view of the future lftre dea'ttr of f)eng Xia.oping u.ill bring inerzital>le ctranges to ctrina-, a-nd tkre¡. xzill l>e for the good, sa¡zs Ckrina- specialist rWzilly rWzo-la_p Laxt: itr a. ner\z book- lftre s¡ork is rerzieszed by Frans \ariens.

changewerethrown

Ghina after Deng Xiaoping THE POWER STRUGGLE IN BEIJING SINCE TIANANMEN

ffi H

ffi

open.

Taiwan's

in democratisation, achievement

although flawed in

many ways, has planted hope in large numbers of June

dissidents,

Lam writes. The same is in-

evitableinChina,according to the exiled

political scientist Yan Jiaqi, who is quoted in the book. "After Deng's death,"

he says, "there will be a campaign to

criticise the Deng tradition. This will be as ineyitable as torrents and rainstoms." The author already sees many signs ofthe up-coming changes, which will be unstoppable after Deng has gone to meet Marx.

f -uy come as a surprise to some, Ibut rür'ilJy tù(roJap Lam, rhe China editor of tlre South Cl¡inø Morning Posf, is an optimist about China's future after the death of Deng Xaoping. In this substantial book, Iam draws a comparison with Taiwan.

After the death of Chiang Chingkuo, the last authoritarian figure in Taiwanese politics, the floodgates for

TEE GORRDSP0IYDEI|T

March 1995

By late 1994, it had become apparent that the heavenly mandate of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

a Cinderella with advanced Parkinson's disease was about to expire. Deng was a- candle in the

wind. The patriarch was apparently convinced that the police-state apparatus and economic reform with socialist Chinese characteristics would prolong the "heavenly lease"

for eyer. Deng's theory

so - that long as the standard of living kept going up, the CCP could rule for ever :- found wide acceptance within the party. The mainstream faction, represented by Jiang Zeming, Zhrtr Rongji and Li Peng, would go on making token modifications to the policital structure without changing the basic nature of the dictatorship. All wishful thinking, according to Lam. The present CCP is no match for the fast-shifting economic factors, the pull of the regions, and the leaps-and-bounds growth of the "people's society". As a result of this the author expects the leadership troika of Jiang, Li and Zhu to hold powerfor only a short term maybe 12 to 18 months. Even before it has formally taken over the heavenly mandate, the troika has run out ofnew ideas. It has even stopped trying ro ler on rhat it is capable of novel solutions. Jiang Zemin is certainly not expected to take any bold economic initiatives.

Furtherprogress towards

result ofreform ofthe state sector and the even faster increasing problem of the so called "floating population", which is likely to increase to 200 million by the )'ear 2000. Even the relatively open-minded cadres, however, mlrst come to tefms with the fact that to survive, the CCP has to share power with other sec-

tors of society. Lam expects the change to come from within the party. The question of who was responsible for the June 4 massacre might become the pretext for removing Jiang and Li. After all, ìn the post-Deng order, overturning the verdict of June 4 could be the easiesr way to win populaf support and le-

gitimacy.

This would mean that the socalled "Three No's" policy of Deng, which the troika is supposed to uphold, will be overturned. The Three No's are: the verdict of June 4 wlll not be changed; the campaign against bourgeois liberalisation must not be

forsaken; the leftists (hardline Marxists) will not be driven from the political stage. Jiang, Li and Zl-tt are trusted not to o\/erturn the Three No's policy. They are expectecl ro safeguard Deng's place in history. The best parts of the book deal with the constant infighting behind

the scenes in Beijing, the shifting of alliances between the leftists ancl the rightists and the tragic figure of Deng Xiaoping. The imperial tour of

the south, which Deng embarked

npon inJanuary andFebruary 7992,

will go down in history as a gigantic triumph of the will. Almost singlehandedly, the patriarch succeeded in re-anchoring the nation on to a

up the threads of political reform begun by Hu Yaobang, Hu Qili and Zhao Ziyang, the day might have been saved. However, he chose to stay with the ideals of the Yanian caves. The supremacy of the party, the inviolability of theJune 4 verdict and his status as the Son of Heaven, became an all-cosuming obsession. The tragedy of Deng is that he didn't realise that the days of socialim and Marxism were really numbered, concludes Willy ïizo-lap Lam. @

Cbina afier Deng Xiaoping, tbe pouer struggle ín Beijing Since

Beijing was implementin g a Zlno Ziyang policy without Zhao Ziyang.

Ttananmen, by tVilly Wo-lap Lam, published by P A Professional Con-

It was Deng's last hurrah. But he

failed to spell out ways to retool the economy by, for example, privatis-

sultants Ltd., Hong Kong, price HK$195.

ing state-owned enterprises and dras-

tically expanding the private sector.

The Hongkong Electric Comp øny Seroing Hong Kong since 18g0 Since its operation

in 7890,

Hongkong Electric has deueloped and grown Today, the principal actiaities

uith Hong Kong of

the Hongkong Electric Group are the generation

and supply of electricity,

quasi-

proj ect management and engineering consultancy seroiccs.

obsolete Stalinist system, seems impossible, according to the author. The

The Hongkong Electric Group

will remain

same problems that almost wrecked

the party in June 1989 remain unsolved: political stagnation; the fu-

guard the party and socialism. If Deng had gone the whole hog and picked

path of reform.

market economy, coupled with an

sion betwee

Deng's ultimate goal was to safe-

a z¡ital and committed part

Hong Kong's continuing growth,

party, government, and

the army; no supewision of corruption and other malpractices by the powerful; no rule of laworindependence of the judiciary. Furthermore, Beijing doesn't seem capable of deal-

ing with the fast rising problem of unemployment the inevitable

The Hongkong Electric Group Powering into the future

()ur n¿to 5.7km cøblc tunncl is the longest in Hong Kong.

March

How not to do it

Malaysian contingent, one of whom actually took it upon herself to excuse

So what do you do when you're past the "let's get close to nature"

the questioner, with the mysti$ing explanation to the mayor that "we didn't explain to you that she is a doctor." Needless to say, there were

phase of life?

no problems, or at least, there were

comes the response. No joke ; the Hilton really is in the

none that His Honour cared to discuss. Kuching is a charming, easy-going city, with many claims on the visitor's time. rüllhere else would the newest main thoroughfare be called20-20? It was unfortunate, but understandable, that the director of tourism was unable to meet us because he had other more pressing affairs of state to attend to. It was regrettable that his deputy was so new and so nervous that she couldn't even read half the words on the over-

headprojector slides. Once again, there was no copy of the statistical charts, "because they were only on tr¿tnsparencies for the overhead projector". EY€ry question, was met by "I don't know" or "I can't answer that". Officialdom did not have a monopoly on missed marketing opportu-

"Take me to the Hilton!" commands the sawy traveller in the Sarawak jungle. "Ríght away, sir,"

heart of Iban longhouse territory.

Kuching is four hours away, mostþ by road (including a quick stop at a pepper farm en route), plus 15 minutes by longboat.

This is the Batang Ai Longhouse Resort, and it's safe to suggest that it's the only longhouse under international

hour by boat across the lake liveJaran and his extended family of about 200, spread over some 23 households. lfhere the Hilton version of local colour means flowers, artfrilly ananged handicrafts and furniture, Jaran's longhouse has kittens and puppies, fìghting cocks and piglets, wide-eyed but infinitely courteous children and finely-woven straw mats on the hard wooden floor. The only adornments on the walls are faded posters promot-

ingfamilyplanning orthe use of saltto prevent goitfe. The longhouse style of communal living evolved oyer thousands of years.

manage ment. Though the lake

Jaran's ancestors

settled here at least 160 years ago. The longhouse is made of woodwithacorrugatedironroof

isman-made-to generate electric-

ity

- the setting isnonetheless superb. The newly-

and has to be re-

opened resort is constructedfrom environmentallyfriendlymaterials

built every two orthreedecades.

Thiswasonlythe second visit by

nities, by the way. Batang Ai was preparing for the

I\:Ialaysíra- is a prirne destirration

for Hong l(ong toLrrists. So uztr¡z is it, asks Jarre FLarn, tkrat sorrìe people in ttre toì.rrist industry ttrere are so poor at preiecting ttre rigtrt irraa.ge?

alaysnis a counrry wth some,iro.,g ror armosr everyone, ex-

ble reading of tourism history and

cept journalists in search of a few modest facts and figures. Grandiose scenery, virgin jungle, extensive wa-

Clearþ, a little direct action was

It7f lVl

terways, hospitable people with great natural charm, a rich and ancient cul-

ture, infinitely varied wildlife and

vibrant cuisine are all good reasons to follow the tourist promotion authority's increasingly threadbare exhortation to the wodd: "Visit Malaysia". As a úavel writer, however, the lasting impression was of a land of missed opportunities. A benign mood prevailed as 20 or so assorted tfavel wfiters dragged themselves away from the infinitely

creative ethnic buffet tables at the newly renovated P eraling Jaya Hilton in Kuala Lumpur to attend a briefing session with the Market Development Manager of the Malaysian Tourism Pro-

motionBoard. Alas, torporsoonthreatened to take over as we wefe treated to an endless andwell-nigh unintelligiTHE CoRRXSPoilDDI{T

March 1995

statistics.

couples from Taiwan oyer the New Year, but the resort's modest sales counter had only a mere

Inafinal attempt to salvage something from the session, som€one tossed the verbal equivalent of a life raft. an

necessary. "We all love facts and ïigures, " said avoice from the assembled journalists. "Is there awritten text that we can have for reference, to sarre you the labour of reading it aloud and to allow more time for discussion?" Alas, there was a text, but there were no copies and it would be impossible to provide them. Adlina Borhan, PJ Hilton's PR manager (who was to

open-ended question of the sort that all tourism PRs should loye: "Could you tell us about some of your ecotourism products?" Far from being a life raft, however, this v/as a torpedo and caused

from so manysimilarsituations o.\¡er the next week) stepped into the breach and promised to photocoPy the speech and distribute it to us. Nevertheless, there would be no respite from hearing the speech read in full. It seemed interminable, but question time could not be postponed for ever. This turned into an amazing paper chase as the mildest €nquiry set off frantic scurrying backwards and forwards, through handwritten notebook pages.

eco-tourism."

save us

desperate floundering. "Some of our visitors like to see paddyfarming or go fishing," came the answer. "But that doesn't quite sound like "W'ell, not really.'Why don't we all have some tea or coffee?"

Anyone who thinks Hong Kong reporters are inclined to be ovedy respectful should have been at the lunch with the mayor of Kuching North, Datuk Bandar DrYusof Hanifah. A journalist from Germany invited His

Honour to "tell us something about your problems here." Innocuous enough, you might think. But

outsidersandthe

Iban charm and spontaneous hospitalitywas well-nigh overwhelming, with Jaran pressing coffee and rice wine on his unex-

arnvalofT5 honeymoon

collec-

tive shudder rippled through the

pected guests.

Meanwhile, back at the Hilton,

handful of condoms in stock. The legendary seller of refrigerators to Eskimos would have it easy in Sarawak!

preparations were in fulI swing for an

unforgettable evening's entertainment. By day Tiyon Anak Juna looks like any other receptionist in his neatly

But on to other

things. The longhouses of Sarawak are ratherlike desert islands. For the average traYeller they are

pressed, resort-style uniform. After dark, however, he transforms himself Idl¡tllic Malqysia, but bad PR

into the archetypal warrior. Wearing

little more than tattoos and a loin cloth, he celebrates the trouncing of

attractiye in the abstract, but lacking

and its operation is designed to protect

the enemywith spears and blowpipes.

in modem conveniences when viewed at grass-roots (that is to say, close-up)

Tiyon is a member of the Iban tribe, like almost all the other employees atBataîg Ai. A year ago he had never seen a bed or a'Westernstyle toilet, or cutlery, and he had never spoken a word of English. To-

without air-conditioning (or at least fans and anti-mosquito screens), a

the environment around the resort as much as possible. A-ft er-dinner entertainment means dreaming of spotting an orang-utan in the morning, stargazing, reading a good book or listening to the drumming of tropical rain, croaking frogs and chirruping cicadas. There's no television in this version of the simple life, no disco either, althoughthere is karaoke,

\íestern-style bed complete with reading lamp, a bathroom with hot water, a modern flush toilet and a certain degree of privacy in which to enjoy these and other trappings (or should that be traps?) of the late 20th century.

hidden in a room that the maîager says is totally soundproof. When the poolside sun loungers lose their appeal, it's time for avisit to one ofthe 100 or so neighbourhood longhouses in the area. Only half-an-

level. Local colour is all very well but the most intrepid explorer may well feel squeamish about leeches, and prickly heat is a scourge even in a tropical paradise. Upon reaching a certain age, life soon grows tedious

day, he and his colleagues are dedicated to the'W'estern style combina-

tion of science and art that is the professional hospitality industry. What a pity that not everybody is as

skilled.

trÞ was sponsored by Hilton hotels in lf.al^ysia and Malaysian

Jane Ram's familiarisation

Àirlines.

March 1995 TEE

coRRESPolrlrDllT

Reciprocal Clubs

Singapore

New Zealand

Foreign Coffesponclents' Assn 190 Clemenceau Avenue +50-33/34 Singapore Shopping Centre

National Press Club

The Belle'ç'ue Club 525 Bellel'ne Avenue Oakland, CA94610-5096

PO Box2327

1-1000 F: l-51O-832-O279

\ùØellington

F:64-4-4780952

1-5 1O-45

Whatever became of reps? It isn't elaouglì to be a sales rel? these da;zs, sa)zs clul> l-ee-1\da.trone)2. If you sza11t cre dibility, Szou Product Àr'Iarketing N4ana-gelTìent E><ecutirze, need to l>e a corru2lete urittr c^pita-l letters -

Singapore 0923

T:65-336 6885

Asiø

P 65-336 5581

Cambodia

Singapore Press Club c/o Ms Salma Khalik

Foreign Correspondent's Club of Cambodia l6J Sisowath Quay Phnom Penh T:855-23-27757 F:855-23-27758

Electronic Publishing Division Singapore Piess Holdings 82 Genting Lane Singapore 1334 F:65-74O 2276

The Greater L. A. Pless Club Súfe 334, Radisson Hollywood

Europe

Roosevelt Hotel

Denmark Int'l

7OO0 Holllvrood Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028 \: t-213-469 Stao

Press Centre

Snaregade

DK-I2O5 Copenhagen K

T:45-r-731675 F:45-7-9116t3

lapan

FCC Thailand

FCC ofJapan 7-1 Yuraku-cho l-Chome

Chiyoda-Ku,

Toþo

T:81-3-321t 3161 F:81-3-3271 3768

23Æ, Dusit Thani Hotel 946Prama IV Road Bangkok 10500 T:66-2-236O45O

T: 7-317-237-6222

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F:1-2L3-469 8183 Indianapolis Press Club 150 \V. Market Indianapolis, IN 46204

France

Thailand

Miami Int'l Press Club l8O0 Club, 18OO N. E. (at 18 N Bayshore Drive)

Avenue D'Iéna

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25, l-KaTaepyong-Ro Chrmg-Kn, Seoul T:82-2-7343272 F:82-2-7347712 Sadan Pubin Seoul Club

#208,2-KA

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Germany

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Presse-Club Mr¡nchen Maienplatz 2 2 (PeterhoÐ

Brisbane Polo Clnb Inc Naldham House waterfront Place 1 Eagle Street Bdsbane, QLD 4000

8000 Munchen 2 T: 49-a9-26O-8O88

T:61-07-229 3766

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Jangchoong-Dong Chung-Ku, Seoul T:82-2-238-79O0/7666 F:82-2-234-3866

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Militar)

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(cor T.M Kalaw St.) Ermita, Manila T:632- 527 9542/571362 F:632-581355

THI

CORRESPONIIENT

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Darwin, NT

United lGngdom

The Jorrnalists' Club 3640 Chalmers Street Sydney, NSSØ 2010

The Fofeign Press Association 1l Carlton House Terrace London SWIY 5AJ T : 44-7 1,-93o-o 445 / 8883

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T:61-2-273344 F:61-2-2512434 The Victorian Club Level47, Rialto South Tower 525 Collins St Melborrne,\aIC 3000 T:67-3-614 2127

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March 1995

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F: t-212-983 4692 Press Club of San Francisco

SanFrancisco, CA94lO2

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Reno Press & Virginia Club 221 So. Virginia Street Reno, NV 89501

Int'l

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l0th Floor 400 Perimeter Cente¡ Terrace

Atlanra, GA30346

T: t-4O4-395-1333 F: 7-4O4-671-OOa7

the cooler is on the blink (again)?

Hotels can be daunting as well. I have in my card collection a Sales Executive, a Front-of-House Executive Comptroller and an Executive

ephone me today and say,

"Hello, I'm the rep for

Assistant Manager

Carmigburg Beer or Tel-SatComputa plc", 1) I wouldn't believe it, and 2) I'dmore than likely fall off my chair. There

afe no reps any mofe. No

Beverage.

has nature cooked up to keep the evolutionary process in good order? I'll tell you the answer, and it lies in the fact that here in Asia the way to make money is to be a printer. But not just any old printer. Oh,

no-you

have

printer of business cards, because these are the Yery latest art

to be

form; creativity at its very best.

Authorship of business cards is

Chicago, lL60610-3695

seldom advertised, but I suspect it is

F:372787-26aO

Canrada Ottawa National Press Club l50 Wellington Ottawa, Ont, KIP 544 Winnipeg P¡ess Club Marlborough Hotel 331 Smith Street Winnipeg, Man R3B 2G9 T: l-2o4-957-718a

only a matter of time. It's all about 'When I titles, job titles. was in the merchant navy we used to remark that "gold in the pocket is better than gold on the shoulder". rWhat we meant was that a pay rise was preferable to an increase in rank, although, to be honest, awell-gilded epaulette was as much of aî aphrodisiac as a promise to pay for a good night out. Honest.

Food and

tive General Manager, anAssistant Residential General Manager

^: F

sooner had I realised that they were an endangefed species than they became extinct. So what has replaced them? What

There's at least one grandiose hotel that boasts an Execu-

{

Oîta;rioSt.5O2

T:3t2787-2679

Pitr st)

Sydney, NSW 20OO

R:7-202-6627572

555 Post St.

London Press Club & Scribes 4 Carmelite Street London EC4 Y0BN T : 44-7 7 -353-5 r23 / 49o

T: l-202-66275OO

counts mofe special than Prestige AccoLlnts? We should be told. Whom do I telephone when I want some more dripmats of cofkscfews, of when

seen a fep in ages."

Knowwhatlmean?Arep

2OO45

Accounts? Are Special Ac-

ager of a ceîtfal, of Central, Hong Kong club and I haven't

- a salespefson, a company f epfesentative, about the likes of which Sir John Betjeman once wrote: "no cuffs than his are cleaner, and he drives the firm's Cortina". If someone were to tel-

Washington, DC

Marketing Executive ?'W'ho outranks the Manager Special

about time too); I was thinking, "Here I am, general man-

T: 1-3O5-373-1O93

14th&FStreets, NW

Holland

f ,a"rt.o thinkns the other I ouy, (yes, yes, r Kllow,

Mi¡ml,FL33132

National Press Clnb

tr(orea

Írraraa.ger Jettrfo

(Ilousehold), who,

Back to the little matter of titles. It's obvious that local bosses are saving a fortune by endowing new employees with gloriously overblown at¡.d aggtaîdising titles instead of paying a substantial salary. Gold on the shoulder instead of in the pocket. The wine trade is a cracker at this. In that trade, you're not a rep, you're a Prestige Account Manager (note the .Wow, use of capital letters). wouldn't you clear your diary for such a highranking powerhouse? SØouldn't you be just a little pleased that you were thought of as a prestige account?

as you might of might not glress, answefs to an Executiye Staff Comptroller/Human Resources Director.

To whom should one

address

complaints, comments or even unfettered praise? When I recently stziyed at a îeafly-completed, nearby resort, I had occasion to enquire at the Reception Desk, "Good morning, I wish to register a complaint. May I see the managef please?"

"Certainly, sir," came the snappy

response. "tùØho would you like to see?" "The Managet." "VØhich one?" "How many are there?" "Three." "I'11

talk to the most senior." "I'm

Flicking through my business card index, I find in the \Vine & Spirits section the following examples of im-

sorry, sir, he's not on duty today." "'$7ell, I'll see whoever is on dLlty." "He's at lunch right now. Can yoll

agination at work. Brand and Sales Development Manager, Product Marketing Management Executive, Prod-

come back later?" I left my card but nobody tried to

uct Managef and Marketing Executive (Cpr). What the hell is a Cpt? Is he or

impress anybody. So I'm thinking of promoting myself from General Manager to Field-Marshal Manager.@

she more influential than a straight

get in

touchwith me. I assume it didn't

March 1995 THE

G0RRf,SP0NIIEIIT

Who does Alan Castro speak for?

The Village (Indian) Restaurant

For Curry Lovers

Sta.ndard,through the Sing Tao group, was enjoying a special relationship

Castro's afgument is that Hong Kong papers have traditionally shied

with the Chinese authorities, whereby it was available at selected outlets on the mainland. That deal, which gave the paper a jump on its Hong Kong

away from issues that hamed the interests of their proprietors. And there is

'Ve

provide a ver¡, cornfbrLable

environmenl vhere ¡ou can enjo;'

lhe

English-language rivals, has now fallen

ments, andthe Hong Kong one as much as any, attempt to apply pressure on publishers, editors and reporters.

Beijing premises.

But what Castro refuses to acknowledge is the fact that anyone is at liberty to take editorial pot shots at the Governor - and Castro uses his right more frequently than anyone in the English-language media. But will that still be the case after 1997? He must know that many Hong Kong proprietors have been cowed by the fear that, come the handover,

f n rne public bartle berween rhe Lsouttc Cbina Morning

Post and

the Eastern Exþress, the Hongkong Standr¡rd has attracted very little attention of late. So let's put that right. T}re Standard, by general agreement, is now a far better newspaper than it was in the days when Alan Armsden attempted to steer it out of the shadow of the Posf, but ended up with a product that couldn't be taken seriously.

Those days are behind us, thank goodness, and the Standørd looks ltke a newspaper again. But its problem remains the same as it always has been: it is a paper with middle-class ambitions and a working-class readership. There may be no solution to that, butthepaper does seemto have already staned work on what in a few years' time will be a far bigger challenge for it and the rest of the Hong Kong media: how to survive and thriye after 1997. There was a clue to the way the Standard may be heading at the recent Asian Press Forum at the FCC,

when Terry Cheng, then deputy editor and now editor, suggested that journalists should display a friendlier attitude to China. At the time, the THX GORRISPOIYI¡ENT

March 1995

journalist Alan Castro is to be taken as representative of corporate / editorial thinking. Castro speaks with some authority on the p^per, and he clearþ despises the British presence in Hong Kong. Consequentþ, his otherwise cogentlyargued columns are let down by a determination to see ill in everything the Hong Kong administration does and a reluctance to take China to

task over anything, including Tiananmen Square. Castro's Brit-bashing is silly and not

worth the detour, but he should be read carefrrllywhen he tums his attention to the future role of the media in Hong Kong. Try these samples from a recent column, in which he set out to justiq/ self-censorship now and after 1997:

Self-censorsbiþ is an emerging þbenomenon of tbe local n'ted.ia, drauting in tl¡eir borns in tbe ligltt of a neu situation

sent simply the views of someone who is relieved to see the back of the British govemment, so be it. If he is a proxy spokesman for the way the Hongkong Stanclard sees its role after 1997 ,then

døwning.

we should worry.

[Self-restraint and

self-censorsbiþJ meøn tbe sarue tbing ønd haue tbe same øims and effects.

Wbat fjournalistsl may not be

able to do is to etbet in under-

ruining and subuerting tbe state; or assist outside forces in suclt actiuìties øgøínstubicb tbe løu makes cleør fsicl.

I put this question to

other

columnists."

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EMPEROR KAOTSUNG SUNG DYNASTY

REIGNED I127.ó2

^+ ì

Is tlrere life a-fter jor.rrna.lisrrr? Strange as it vzill seerra to rrratay afaded track, the ans.wzer can l>e a resor-rrrding, triurnpkra-nt ")res"Orr a trip to Souttr Africa= I(erzirr Sinclair rnet the proof.

9ó ceNrs wo weeks in South Africa trying to look a - without great deal of success at the

of Europe who arrived in

changing political scenery had left me baffled. It's all too complex to be absorbed in such a brief encounter, and, as I quickly found out, for a visiting journalist, meaningful analysis is impossible. (What a pity, I might add, that those instant experts who get off a plane at Kai Tak do not recognise the same thing about Hong Kong.) Still, there was time to cast my eye over something more easily understandable, so, with

still writes freelance for the Londoll. Daily Maíl,blrt has largely

retired from journalism after a hectic, exciting and frequently dangerous career, mostly on his

native African continent. O\¡er the years, his observations of Africa's winds of change have become important chapters in contemporary history books. (A

close friend, by the way, is former FCC president Donald \lise, with whom he worked in the Congo and other African trouble spots.)

the heavy business over, I found

myself behind the wheel of

the

Capetn1694. As for Younghusband, he

The big, arniable newsman is

hired car on the road to heaven. The winelands of the Cape are superb. Theyhave gotNapa, the Barossa, Bordeaux and the

delightful raconteur and nificent host, and we had a^magthora

oughly splendid time mulling

over this and that. Rhineland over a barrel. Many of è I came back to Hong Kong the vineyards go back three cen- .s with a bottle of his ChardonnaySemillon blend, the first ever turies or more, climbing dramatimade in Africa. Only 200 cases callyup theflanks of craggygranPeter Youngbusband and wife fill øt tbeír u)¡nety: .rn ite mountains or nestling in val- ¡nsþíra,tion to Lracks euerywbere. were producedin 1993, but demand was so great that producleys of astonishing beauty. tion was increased to five times One of the most impressive that amount the followingyear. is the Delheim Estate, run by a remarkA newsman who owns a vineyard? I opened my bottle with club able character named Spatz Speding. You can bet I was going. president Simon Holbe rton and manHe produces a truly memorable In the news business in Hong Kong Chardonnay that, alas, is not available ard around the world, the ager Jethro Lee-Mahoney. Surely, I inHongKong. . . unlessyouarelucþ begged, we should have this on the Younghusband name is a renowned enough to be a guest of South African byline. In the Cape wine business, club wine list. It's gteat wine and ^ an¡hing they worth its weight in consul general Michael Farr, who imthey know him for his vintages. ports it for his YIP functions. mine at the Kimberley diamond Off I sped and, some time later, fields. Anyway, as a couple of us paid was sitting in an enormous, sprawling But, perhaps more importantly,I tribute to a few bottles of Pinot Noir room decorated with African art, quisitting on a tefface ovedooking Table etly sipping Peter Younghusband's reckon a fine wine made by a famous Mountain, some 40 miles away, the Chardonnay-Semillon blend and chat- foreign correspondent deserves to be avai'lable in the Foreign Correspondconversation got around to Cape ting with him and his wife, JiIl.

wineries. Had I been to Franschoek (Frenchmen's Corner), Iwas asked? No, I said.

Tomorrow. 'Was I planning to see Peter Younghusband? What do you mean? Was I going to his winery? 1f,8 coRRxSpol{DENT March 1995

Boy, does this make you open your eyes! His vineyard, Haute Provence, in keeping with the area's French heritage, is only 15 hectares, butitis trulyGod's little acre . The land was granted to a French Huguenot refugee from the religious slaughters

ents'Club.

As I said to Peter Younghusband as he waved me off: "This is a miracle.

successful newspaperman who's escaped newspapers. It's an inspiration to all of us."

I-JACKER,S

HISTORICAL KAM MAP OF

TIN

QURING THE ,V\ONGOL wAR,rO yEAR OLD suNG PRtNcgss, suNG TsuñG,cH t. pur HERSELF UNO€R THE PNOTECIIOI.¡'O¡

HONG KONG

ONE OF THÊ TANG FArvrtty, t¡¡¡9 1¡7¡5 DISTRICT OFFICER. OF XUNG YUAN. HE HID HER lN KA¡Y\ TIN WHERE SHE AAARRIED HIS SON IZU,^\ING HER FATHER KAOTSUNG LAf ER DEC^â^E EMPEROR.

Do you know why Hebe Haven is called Hebe Haven or how Repulse Bay got its name? Do you know that Hong Kong's first Governor once travelled 1,600 miles on a secret mission disguised as an Arab horse dealer? You willfind this and much more in Arthur Hacker's Cartographical Extravaganza of Hong Kong.

Beautifully printed in a limited edition of 500 numbered copies signed by the artist, it is available unframed for HK$300 post free from: Arthur Hacker Ltd., Suite E 8th Floor,

CrptalCourt, Discovery Bay, Hong Kong. Tel: 987 9043 Fax: 987 9072

Making up this fine print are a hundred amusing drawings in elegant curl¡cule style, illustrating the history, myths and flora and fauna of Hong Kong.

Cheques payable to Arthur Hacker Ltd.

This print is a perfect wall decoration for your home or office and a "must" for anyone who has lived in, knows and enjoys Hong Kong.

Name

The print which measures 41.5" x 30" comes in a strong cardboard tube with protective plastic ends for safe posting.

"A natural Christmas present for former Hong Kong residents now overseas." Kevin SinclaÌr, South China Morning Post. "Treasure chest of Hacker's findings." Asian Boating Monthly.

ORDER FORM Date

Delivery Address:

Telephone

Signature

No. of copies HK$300 each

Please send

Send this form with your cheque to Arthur Hacker Ltd., Suite ñ 8th Floo[ CrystalCourt, Discovery Bay, Lantau, Hong Kong.

IITJRNIS'

IILIRNIS'NII<;I{-I.

NII<ìH-I-

From batd to worse here was only one kilt among them, but there was plenty of Scottish spirit

when club members gathered on the Verandah on January 25 to celebrate the anniversaryof the birth ofthe Scottishbard, Robert Burns. Frank Casey proved that he is not just Hong Kong's most brilliant publisher and businessman by giving a faultless rendering

of The Immortal Memory, the traditional tribute to Scotland's greatestpoet andworst farmer.

Mitch Davidson delivered a splendid Address to a Høggis, andJohn Hentztaise.d a glass or two "To the Lassies" - which was replied to by Maggie Beale on behalf of the dozer or so fair ladies present.

-l¡ñ

Just like kilts, bagpipes were in short supply, so Hamish Beaton opened up the piano to play a few reels, accompanied by a fiddler. The whisþ continued to go down nicely, the reels span faster and faster and then, apparently, a haggis ate the notes

!'r;

Th e C omesþond.ent' s maî at the function. Anyway, whatever the

carefully keptby

-s

cause, he can't remember any more about the evening.

è È

4¡

-T

Tf,D CORRf,SPOMIEI{T March 1995

March 1995 TtlE

CoRRESPoIIITENT

An eveningwith Shep Woolley Dirrrrer anld daftraess r\zas the lrza;z it s¡as trilled. Aald ttrat's tlle vrza;. it turned out wrzlrerr Etritish c orrrediarrl./ sirl.g,er Strep rWzoolley erìtertained a ftrll krouse of rnerrrl>ers and gtrests in the rrrairr. dining foorn-

I= ,3

Efìnr

GoRßxsPoilnEI{T

l¡'arch t995

March 1995 THE CORRXSP0IIDDNT

Oysters, banquets and the Mongo ltan experience Danzid Garcia tranrels to Inner Àzlongolia" f<>r ant or-rt-oÊthis-.wzodd challenge to his lir.ercabin will invite all their friends in for an-all night session of smoking, drink-

ing and oyster spitting. Oyster spitting? Perhaps you have already guessed. If you hai'e.a weak stomach, skip the next two paragraphs.

An oyster is something brought up from the bottom of one's lungs, which is combined en route with another substance brought up from the bottom of one's stomach. This is all produced loudly with a aoutou,

as I

am sure you know, is

located in Inner Mongolia. It is an industrial city famous for its steel-

works and mining of rare eartle - a mineral used in space-age metals. I

special sound and deposited anywhere convenient, gen'erally on the floor next to the spitter. Sometimes the person is polite and dumps it in an ashtray. This will go on into the wee hours of the morning. You will get no sleep.

was going there to visit the steelworks.

If you happen to get stuck in a compartment with others, grab the

My travelling companions were Johan and Vlam from South Africa. Johan is about 5ft 6in, thin with grey hair. Johan eats only to snrvive and

top bunk. Your travelJi ng companions, who have no doubt invited in all their friencls from the harcl seats, will sit on the bottom bunks. Nonetheless, when

drinks mainly beer. China does not agree withJohan. Vlam, on the other hand, is 6ft 5in, red haired at the side but bald on top with a red beard. Mam in Afrikaans means flame, so you probably get the point. Vlam likes to drink and meet people. The train ride from Beijing takes approximately 74-18 hours, depending onwhich trainyou catch.'W'e were

on the 16-hour version. The use of "express" in the title is deceiving. Taking a long train ride in China is an art. If you can afford it, travel only in the first-class sleeping car. Buy all four seats, even if you are alone. Put your stuff on all the beds and if someone asks, tell them the other people are in the dining car or somewhere. If

there are others in the cabin, offer them bribes to get out. You'll thank me for this advice. What generally happens on these long train rides through the hintedand is that the other occupants of your TID

CORRf,SPONIIENT

March 1995

everyone finally gets

sleep,

inevitable that the guy in the upper bunk will want to deliver a late-night oyster on to the floor. If you're in the bottom bunk, it is highly likely you will get hit, or at least sprayed. Vlam was on his first trip to China. In fact, it was his first trip anl.where out of SouthAfrica. Thewoddwas his playground and he wanted to film it all. Johan had travelled to China before, so he knew what to expect. The trip up was fairþ calm, until \4am invited people from the corridor into the cabin for a beer and a chat.

\4am dicl not speak Chinese , so, amaz-

China, you avoid even looking; getting involved in commotions is a definite no-no. But Mam was missing. Something in the back of my head told me I

had to check it out. I peered into the corridor and saw a crowd surrounding \4am, of which you could only see his butt sticking

out in the corridor, with the rest of him in another compartment. Apparently, he had discovered that there were some Chinese "movie stars"

inside and he wanted to film them. The trouble was that some vital elements of what Vlam had to say wefe getting lost in the translation - and it was one in the morning. People tend to speak loudly when awakened at that time by a 6ft 5in bearded fellow with red hair and a video camera. Somehow, though, the ruckus settled

on its own accord, with \4am being escorted back to our cabin. 'W'e

were met in Baolltou by the people from the steelworks, who informed us there would be a Mongolian banquet that evening. Banqueting in Chinais aspecial experience atthe best of times. I have banqueted everywhere from the Great Hall of the People to various steelworks spread throughout China, but nothing will ever compare to a full-scale Mongolian job.

The essential problem is that Mongolians believe that if their guest is still standing at the end of the banquet, they have somehow failed. 'W'e were taken from our hotel by car to the edge of the grasslands and were met by guys with horses. Actu-

ingly, all this was accomplished

ally they were Mongolian ponies

through an interpret er.

parked next to yurts - and it was in a yurt that the feast was to take place. Once the banquetwas underway, the food simplydidn't stop. Manygoats were slaughtered and served with great lanfarc on silver platters. Cooked q'ith the head and hooves still on, they made an interesting centrepiece onthe table.

'We

finally threw out the guests,

but \4am still wanted to meet folks. Off he wentwith his brand-newvideo camera, whïeJohan ancll startedto doze off. Somewhere into the night a loud

commotion broke out. Generally, when you hear untoward noises in

The drinking starts immediately. You are first serwed a brew made from horse's milk. It's fermented and has an alcohol content ofaround 65 per cent. In fact, the Mongolians generally do not like to drink anything with less than 65 per cent alcohol. The booze is served byyoung Mongolian maidens in traditional dress, who sing folk songs while they serwe the stuff to you in silver bowls about half the size of a coffee cup. You must gambei (drink in one gulp) the cup immediately, and then a second and a third before the tfoupe moves on to the next pefson. Meanwhile, the food keeps pouring in and the dancers are jumping around the table, and of course the maidens make two or three more passes with the mare's milk. There's an entertainment break which lasts 20 minutes and then the dreaded maidens retuffi with a different liquid. It's clear and now serwed in a yak's horn coated on the inside with silver. Thisis aspecialMongolianbrew, strongerthan anything - 80 per cent+ alcohol content. This is what will killyou. Again the singing andt}ae gambei-ing. The banquet finally ends and, trust me, if you can stand up without assistance, you're good. We stumbled out of the 1'urt and tried to focus. rù(/here're the cars? Only

the ponies were there. 'W'e were too drunk to realise what we were getting into and boarded the beasts, or at least

tried to. Vlam threw his bulk over the saddle and landed on his ass on the other side. The pony was not impressed. He finally managed to get on and the pony set off, with Vlam's feet dragging on the ground and the video camera firmly fixed to his right eye. It took us a while to catch him and stop the pony. They were headed for

Ulan Bator, although Vlam probably thought he was in a taxi in Johannesburg.

We were finally met later by the

vehicles and delivered back to our hotel, where we suffered noisily for longer than I care to remember. So, a word of warning when going to Inner Mongolia. If you don't have a strong liver, don't get involved in banqueting. And don't eat the oysters.

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$$$$$$$$$$ sanre s$$s$$$$$ y".t I of[". two crisp t.fr"shing *hit". "rrJ . o{ pop.rl"t t.Js. B"..ose rnany of o,,r t r"-Lers are "*"y frothe territory Juring th" comLination of the recent {estive p""ioås I have continu"J *ith the wines of[.t"J in ]anuary. These to any cellat are so versatile, tltey *ill bu *"I.ot." " "JJitiott anJ a rnost..t.ful stat Jty. For this ürne of

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Macon YJrages,r992. $rro. ($raZo per case) Chartron J Tt.Lr.r"het. BurggnJy, Ftance. "t Àn appellation covering oJy *hit" wine, it is granteJ to some 42 eight oÍ "Jlu¿.", *hi"h.r" also entitled to the Beaujolais Villages tag. All .r" *"ll-p-i""J, gooJ-vrl,r"

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AOC St Chitri.tt, LangueJoc-Ror'..illo.r, France. Thir ution o{ the Sy.uh utrd Gtunache grape varieties is produceJ on the stony "o-Lit rlop"r of the Beziers region witLin the LangueJo". Th" wine is an attractive light colou. s,ith a pleasant -"Jin- *eigLt. Cabernet Sa'vignon, 1QÇ3. $qa ($fffó per case). New South IØ"I"s, Aushalia. Brought bu"L Ly p"polar request. Yes, tLis wine was i.'"lr'J"J in rny ofler of Àugust last year. Fortunately, I have convin""J u lo"rl \Øi.r" M.."h.nt to let ,r" hav" th" remaining stocL. In Àugust I wrote that it was 'rich, intense urrJ flurrorrr"o-e' - I see no reason to alter that Jescription.

I:CCìt{r\R

M"G-ig". Brothers, Hunter Vrll"y,

FCC N"

Name T"1. N".

\ø1 FCCFEB \ø2 FCCFEB Rl FCCFEB R2 FCCMÀR

No. of Cu,",

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No. o{ Cu."'

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Total P.i"" $

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F"ll

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i, {o, Mu."h oJy. D"live.i"r *ill L" Juring the 4th w""L o{ th"

@ Marcl:' 7995 TllE

C0RRESPONIIXNT

'''otrth.

I-Red

The Last Supper

Further to the "official" minute of the pre-Christmas luncheon of the FCC Red Lips, th€Australian Chaperwaslaunched in Melbourne. Following Champagne

atthe Hilton

t should have been a melancholy occasion. lt wasn't. For those of us who gathered for a final lunch in the Richard Hughes Room at the Hilton on the 1 lth anniversaryof his death, there was much joy and many memories.

luncheon meeting in the Hilton Grill. Sometimes, four or five hard-core members would tum up. Other days, it could swell to two dozen. The only rule was that everyone paid his/her own bill. These gatherings often dis-

Soon, the private dining room

integrated into fabled lunçhes, now the stuff of legend. Alas, many of the

named after the rambunctious repolter

will disappear when the hotel, with which the FCC has so many ties, is demolished. The

participants are now long gone, along with Dicko. Eddie Tseng, one of his

club was housedin a

suite on the 25th floor during the Cul-

chez Mayfield, members departed by "I wanted to keep it and frame

as an

limo for Michel Bonnet's award-winning restaurant at the swanky Marina Mirage on the Broadwater for a light luncheon and some serious wine tasting. Toasts were offered for the New

historic document," explained

John England. "Nobody in Fleet Street

will believe a 75-yearold reporter can still work, let alone eat and drink like this six days a week." The tales of Dick grew sentimen-

tal. "Remember when he used to order house wine and someone had winked at the waiter and poured a famous Bordeaux and Dick had said, yes, thehousewine was quite accept-

Red Iíþs go

tutta

Doun Under: From tbe left, Jo Møyfield, Iaurie

able?" askedFreddy '$(/adsworth.

when Dick and I

late doyen offoreign

of Menr

correspondents in

werelunchingalone intheHilton. Hehad

The annual MeryHaworth Memorial Tro-

Asia gathered for a final farewell. Dicko,

gone into a doze aflter a long lunch and

withhispenchantfor pretending to be a high prelate of the Holy Church, would no doubt have dubbed it The Last

woke with a sta:tt.

One of my ïavoured stories was

"tùØhere are

demanded gruffly. "The Hilton Grill," I

replied. "I know

.S q

that, you damnfool.

Supper.

has .always seemed ironic to me

FCC members

gatber to remember Dick Hugbes in tbe restûurønt named ín bis bonour.

that the man after whom the elegant e tery was named

closest cronies and aformerFCC presiAfter_ downing the equivalent of about a half-bottle of vodka, Dick would turn to the red to wash down his invariable Welsh rarebit followed

oaths ffom newspapers and magazines.

by roast beef

As to his drinking from the longstemmed wine glasses, well I reckon he would have shattered about four of them at each of his gargantuan lunches, which never finished before 4pm.

sliced thin" only dessert, whichwas about a pound

set off

in his culinary foot-

steps; most of us began, for sentimental reasons, with treble vodkas. "Russian water," Dick used to thunder. "You only get drunk if you dilute it." For years, long before the special room was built, there was a Friday THE CoRRXSPoIIDENT

March 1995

!(/hat country!" It was a humor-

Marilyn Hoocl,

Year, the Past Year, everyone's health (and wealtþ and absent friends. Unfortunately, the festivities were curtailed at four in the afternoon by the arrival of a couple of spouses. The inaugural meeting was declared closed and the group retired to the boardwalk. No minutes of either meeting are avatfable .

In honour phyfor

74-1, poolproduced some exciting play. Contested over two evenings,

the tournament finished in victory for Howell Givelin, withJohn Haryett taking the rr¡nner-up prize. The competion was kindly sponsored by Steinlager New Zealand beer. Pictured (from left to right) are Howell Givelin, S7alter Gerrard of Steinlager, Tony Craig (Snooker and Pool Committee chairman) andJohn Haryett.

ous gathering. Dick's immense

would probably have been unable to gain entry. You have to wear atie and Dick was normally clothed in a rumpled safari suit, pockets bulging with notes and stories flpped with savage

\ùØe

we?" he

(West) Dillon,

Roderíck ønd Rou,tena Young.

tural Revolution. So it was appropriate that abunch of uswhooftenlunched with the much-loved

lipr brigade

dent, was a regular.

"Cut rare, my son, and - before moving on to his

of strawberries swimming in a bowl full of kirsch. After that, Dick would usually have a couple of bracing Irish coffees.

After one of the Hilton lunches, Dick flewinto an uncharacteristic rage when he found avisitor (a pal of mine who was the Bonn correspondent of Tbe Daily Exþress) had surreptitiously paid The Doyen's bill.

personality hovered almost visibly. On the wall, he glared and beamed down at us from a montage of photographs showing him in some of his many moods.

"Absent friends, Your Grace," Sarah Monks toasted them, using one

of Dick's common McDougall made

gestures. John

a good suggestion.

\Vhat is going to happen to these memorabilia when the Hilton is torn down? Slhy not suggest to the FCC that we ask general maîager James Smith if the club can have them. Theywould rest in peace on one of our walls.

I(evin Sinclair

News of the Bryans Friends of Ken and Margaret Bryan will be delighted to learn that life continues to treat them well in their new home at Chilworth, near Southampton, in southern England. Ken, formerþwith the Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation and now chief finance officer with the Midland

in the mid-Eighties. Margaret has become the demon of the local golf course and is expected to join the PGA's women's Bank, was club treasurer

professional circuit next year. Ken struggles to keep up with her when he joins her on the fairways at weekends. Thanks to Penny Byrne for the picture. March 1995 lHD

CORRESPOIÐIilT

Press R.elations

New members Correspondent

CanOn

Jor-rrnalist

CnrHnv Pncrr¡c

Canon Hongkong Trading Co., Ltd.

7/F, Swire House,

Services/Products

Ulanager Corporate Communication

Canon cameras and video camcorders

Hong Kong, China

Address:21lF,, Cornwall House, Taikoo Place,979 King's Rd, Quatry Bay, Hong Kong Senior

l/anager

Product Marketing

Execulive

Public Relations fi4anager

GeoffreyJ. Cutmor€

Marian Leung

Services/Pro

Wong

2565 2007

Hong Kong-based international airline

[,4s

Louise

Function: Developing Hong Kong's new airport at Chek Lap Kok

J.ninonl

Director SeniorManager lvlanag¡ng

Rudi H. Spaan

John Bailey

Thomas'Weigand

r Ele Avvare r Ele InforlTred

F /A r_ T :D b Y F /A ><

Sheba Brener

r Ele Tkrere r Ele Active

FCC, Hong Kong, Fax: No: (852)28684092

2747 5353

ucts:

3B/F )ffice Tower, Convention Plaza,

Local lnternational

Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Cheung Lilburn

William Nigel

Offices in: Amsterdam,Athens,

2584 4294 2584 44Bg

Bangkok, Barcelona, BuenosAires, Chicago, Dallas,

Dubai, Frankfurt, Guangzhou, Ho Chi tulinh City, lstanbul, Jakada, London, Los Angeles, l\ilex¡co City, Miami, Milan, Moscow, Nagoya, New York, Osaka, Panama City, Paris, Santiago, Seoul, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney,Taipei,Tianjin, Toky0, T0ronto, Vancouver, Vienna, Warsaw,

Poon

JimmyWan

25245081 25245081

Chief lVìanager C0rporate

Zurich

Affairs

Nick

Thompson

2879-3397

Services/Products: Property investment and development in Hong Kong, Singapore and China; terminals and transport systems, hotels in Asia and North America; Cable Television and Telecommunications.

wAN'l'Ef)

WANTED >

Television Sub-Editor/Reporter Alocal TV station is looking for a Sub-Editor/Reporter.

Qualihcations: Required

ASSISTANT EDIT()R: The HIfiDC has an opening for an Assistant Editor in the

Publications Department. The successful applicant will join an editorial team re'13 product sponsible for all facets ofthe TDC's magazines as well as other print

years' experience in joumalism, fast and good writing skills. No TV experience required. Salary: above 27K depending on experience.

> > Conracr:

Hong Kong Trade Development Council

a degree

recognised university, three

2339 7637 Charles Lai

projects. The involves subbing, writing and researching original stories, proofreading and working closely with designers on layouts, in addition to coordinating the work of a host of freelance writers. We need a computer-literate person

with

a good working knowledge of Hong l(ong's commercial, trade and industrial

scene. A background in electronics would also be an advantage SALARY: Salary will c0mmensurale with qualifications and experience. BENEFITS: Medical and hospitalization benefits, conlract-end gratuity and

ing day's annual leave

will

work-

be offered

APPLICATI0NS giving full personal details, including employment history, present

and expected salary, c0ntact telephone and fax numbers, and a recent photo should be sent to the Assistant Personnel Manager, HKTDC,

Hl(

Please quote ref#

lf we do not receive your up-to-date fax number we will assume that you do not wish to receive event information (concerning club luncheons, exhibitions, social functions, talks, and presentations, etc.). T

March 1995

2747 5214

26/F World-Wide House, 19 Des Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong P.L.

rvices/Prod ucts:

Convention Plaza,

C0RRDSPONIIDNT

Kwan

Classifi-ed

Simply fill in the information, then fax this page to: Miss Karen En, The Executive Secretary

Sr¡rnarne: Forenarne: FCC rnernbership No: Fax nurnber:

rHE

C.F.

For information on booking an insertion, simply fax your name and contact numbers to 2521 a366.

ln order tha.t rnernbers rnay efficiently receive inforrnation concerning events to be held at the FCC, uzith effect frorn Monday April 3, a.ll publicity leaflets rnzill be dispatched by facsirnile transrnission onlyTo ensure tha.t you receive future inforrna.tion, please rnake certain tha.t \ /e a.re in possession of your fa.x nurnber-

IITTITTTIITTIT

2747 5360

THE \øHARF (HOLDINGS)LIMITED

Sole agent of Nikon cameras, Hasselblad cameras, Linhof cameras and Epson LCD portable TVs

Michael Keck

Burfurd

Hong Kong Trade Development Council

Shnro (Hons Kons) Limited

2/F Hutchison House, Central, Hong Kong

Phil

NadiaStoyle

Commercial

2565 2008

Albert

Public Relations Manager Phillip Bruce 28247700 Media Relations Manager Norma Fung 282477Os Media Enquiries (24 hours) 28247152

Associate

Chan

[,4r

PR0vrsroNAL ArRponr AuTHoRrry Hor,rc Kor¡o Christine Hodgson

Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong

Corporate Communication lVìanager

Sole Distributor : J0S Consumer Electronics

Patrick Ian Mcloughlin

II/F., Mirror Tower,6l Mody Rd., Kowloon, Hong Kong

"3/03

3BlE 0ffice

AEP" on the envelope.

Tower,

EXPERIENCED EDITOR Singapore Tatler is looking for

Bureau Chief to head its Singapore

office. The successful candidate will have extensive magazine feature writing and sub-editing experience, and must be able to work to deadlines. He or she will be required to lead a small, hardworking editorial team and represent the magazine on the local social scene. Salary will be commensurate with ability and experience. To apply, please send your resume in confidence to the Publisher on fax no: 2559 1920 or to GPO Box 1 0 I 95

Classified advertising inTbe Cor.resþondezú is economical and easy fax your name and contact details to 2521-a366 for more information.

March 7995 THE C0RRXSPOilDH{T

NÍkon rF90x

A montbly portrøit of FCC ùrrepløceøbles l{oweuu ûood You Are, You Can D0 Bettel ,,,

Kevin Sinclair September 1971, so next year marks a quarter of a century of contributing to club profits. Born in December 1941, which makes him a war baby (although it's not known if they knew a war was going on in his neck of the New Zealand woods). Gourmet who doubles as boss of a word factory located in the New

Member since: Age:

Occupation: Professional record:

Nationality: Least likely to say: Most likely to say:

Territories. Believed to be a non-union operation. Has done just about everything, but balked at working any more at the Morning Post when the Australian headbanger, Alan Farrelly, took over in the mid-Eighties. See above.

No thank you, Tiger. Just iced water with a little lemon today. Can you get that * * *, cigarette smoke out of my face! Pb otogrøpb e d by