Multimedia month at the FCC
THD CORRf,SPONIIDNT August 1998
How to make the Internet work for you Meciia ethics? Tbe US media searches for tbe al'tsuer.
During November the FCC will be holding a series of seminars and lunch speeches on the Internet as tool for communication, research, business and trade. Some of the subjects to be covered:
. . . . . . .
The why and how-to of websites Searching the Internet: best sites, short cuts, most useful sites, how to do research
IIIE FONEIGN CONRESFONDENTS' CLIJB 2 Lower Albe¡t Road, Hong Kong Telephone: 2521 1571 Faxt 2868 4092 Email: fcc@fcchk.org
P¡esldent Diane Stomont Fhst Vlce President Phil Segal s€cond vlce Presldent Richardson
tbe steps of Darutin
-Jerry
tbe Gølapagos
- Islønds reuealed
ember Governo¡s Cotmey, Tim Cribb, Brian Jefferies, Kees Metselaar,
Christopher Slaughter, Hubef van Es
Joufi¡allst Member Goveftors Liu Kin-ming, Fmnc¡s Moriarty
Assoclate Member Goverûors William H. A¡esonJr., Kevin Egan, Carl Rosenquist, Steve Ushiyam
An impromptu interuiew witb wrircrfa.n Moris
Flnance CÆmmlttæ
How e-commerce works Successful e-commerce
In
Treæ urc r W illiam H,{reson Jr.
P¡ofesslonal Commlttee ConrenoÆ: Liv Kin-ming and John Colmey
¡¡¡l¡l-¡çdþ (¡mml6s6 Con
mor:
Brian Jefferies
Platrfltflg commtttæ Con uenor: Jetry Richardson
Keynote speakers on IT in Asia Practical workshops
Membeship Commtttee ContEnor: f{tbeÍf vaî Es
F&
I md Entertairent Contlttee
Conuenoß: IKev'n Egân ând Carl Rosenquist
Wall Committee Conuenot: Htl>efi van Es
The future of the Internet
Freedom of the Prss Conmlttee Moliàtty Con oen o r : F r ^ncís Genefal Maf,ager
Former FCCers in Queensland- going tropo
Robert Sanders
At the same time, \Me would like to hold an exhibition of FCC members' websites (commercial or personal) either electronically or blown-up print displays. For the exhibition to work we need your submissions and suggestions
Sometime during the month will be Cybernight at the FCC, whatever that means. What would cyber-food be anyway? Empty plates with holograms of virtual food? Ideas wanted.'Websites wanted. Sponsors wanted. Help wanted.
The Corespondent EDITORIAT tor
:28736394 userye.com
Publicâtlons comnlttee Cotttvnor P rul Bayfielcl Terry Duckham, Robin Lynam, Kees Metselaar, Karen Penlington, Hubef van Es
4- Frorn
Opinions expressed by writers in Tbe Correspondet / are not necesarily those of The Foreign Cona¡nndents' ClubofHong Kong.
PLlt on
Tbe Corepondenl is published monthly by The Foreigrr Corcpondens Club of Hong Kong.
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PRODUCTION Asiapix Print Serv¡ces
'rel: 2572 9544 Faxt 2575 8600
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Email: asiapix@hk.linkage net
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PRINTER Impress Offset Prìnting Factory Limited
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Contact the multimedia committee with any of the above: Emailto :bayfield @ magnagroup. com bayfield @ magnagroup. com
2- I-etrter:s to ttre Editor
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ProfessiorÌal
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FCC faces JohnF CorbettJr
O Copyrighr 1998 The Foreign Conesþndehts' Club of Hong Kong
Covel photograph by Joyce Naltchayan/AFP
Augr-rst
1998 TEE CORf,XSP0ilDlllT
Canoil To the editor members be entitled to elect all (or at
From Clinton Leeks Corporate Development Director,
least, most) of the Club's senior
Airport Authority In his article in
positions. Tbe Corcespond.ent
July 7998, CIK- A state-of-the art PR pratfall, Steve Knipp takes a highly personal view of his chosen subject. Your readers should I am sure be left
to judge it for themselves. However there is one pointwhich simply cannot go uncorrected. There is a strong implication in the piece that I lied to the media in 1995 about the number of construction related deaths at Chek Lap Kok. This is wrong infact, and on a
subject such as this I find the assertion
quite unacceptable. The actual position
Steve Knipp
in
is
1.995
very simple.
was writing
specifically about the Chek Lap Kok construction site for which the AÄ alone - was responsible. His figure of L4 deaths was (as I told him at the time) wrong-the figure was far lower
(four between January 7, 7993 and December
31
,7995) .Thefigures issued
by Labour Department later covered not just ChekLap Kok butthewhole of the Airport Core Programme (for much
of which the AA had no responsibility
or involvement whatsoever -
i.e.
including the rail, the Tsing Ma Bridge, the \Øest Kowloon Reclamation and so forth). This explains the different figure then given by the Department for the total number of deaths. Any death on a construction site is hugely regrettable. ThefactthattheAAworked tremendousiy hard to keep Chek Lap Kok's safety record as clear as possible
and indeed that, in comparison with the rest of the Hong Kong construction sector, we succeeded in doing so, does
not excuse a single death. But nor does it excuse Steve Knipp's most unfair and shameful allegation.
From Alan M Abrahams Journalist Member (No. 6135) \Øhat progress is there onthe issue of widening the voting circle for Club officers? I refer to the suggestion that
those other than correspondent
The existing system may have worked well, when times were good, but now aìl members are being called
upon to pay very high monthly membership fees, and generally assist the Club in finding new members, pay their bills on time, etc. '$l'e're told that
difficult times lie ahead. The new president promises far-reaching initiatives. Good. But how representative will they be? Right now a few decide for the rest. That hardly encourages ownership of whatever is proposed. Eitherwe are inthistogether orwe are not. Journalist andAssociate members pay the same fees and are
charged the same at the bars and restaurants. The dayswhen others might
have considered themselves honoured
to be invited to join the Club are gone. It's time the'small circle' electorate was abolished and a more open and representative regime installed. There is
nothingwrong, inprinciple, offoreign
corespondents ruming the Foreign Correspondents Club. It falls down though when they need the support of others to keep the Club going. A cry something along the lines of
'no taxation without representation' emerge other-wise. 'sflell it has
will
already. And justifiably so.
FCC president Diane Stormont replies: Work, began addressing tbe issue røised. last year under Keitb Ricbburg's presidency. A committee was formed
to looþ, øt tbe Añicles of Association witb tbe airn of modernising tbem
following tbe Iland.ouer and tben
examining tb e constitutional stn t cture of tbe Club. Tbe first (and easy) part was comþleted during tbe tunure of tbe last board-for example " Colony "
Lua.s changed to "Special Administratiue Region". Tbe committee, again led by Bill Areson and, Chris Slaugbter, bas begun uorle on tbe next stage- wbich ineuitably
includ,es uoting structures ønd so on. Members of tbe board tbemselues bold. diuergent uiews and tbere is no doubt tbese uiews, many of tberu. strongly beld, are mimored tbrougboú the membersbip, so tbe cotnmittee has its work, cut ou|. Members are inuited to subrnit tbeir uiews.in wrfting to tbe
conmittee uia tbefront ffice.
FromJohn Clayden 157 5 B¡alsaln Street,
# 3O
4
Varcouver, Bc v6K 3L7, Ca¡ada TeL (604) 732-5418 The photo article of Edward Stokes' pictures from his book-4cross tb e Island in the April 1998 issue gave me some
of the most enjoyable reading I have I lived in Hong Kong from 1 ! 68 to 1.97 2 and from I97 9
had for some time.
to 1.982. Both times I was an avid hiker either with an organized group or on my own. Since I lived on Clovely Path and then Magazine Gap Road, it was easy for me to walk most of the trails on Hong Kong island, discovering over the years in addition to the fantastic views and greenery, orchids, cobras and wondelful areas of butterflies. A Chinese gentleman from the American Consulate was our guide on
the organised hikes, most of which were in Kowloon and the New Territories, including the bigger islands. I still keep some of the printed notices he sent out during those years. The group was an interesting mix of Chinese people from varying backgrounds and
origins as well as a good mix of cosmopolitan non-Chinese. The villages in the New Territories were still inhabited in the early days
but gradually were absorbed and disappeared as development spread out from Kowloon. Even so, the toP of Hong Kong's hills remained untouched and wonderful places to escape to on the week-ends, especially in the cooler months. Congratulations to Edward
Stokes, the MTR and
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The
Correspondefi for reminding your
readers of whatafantastic place Hong
Kong was and still
is.
¡Ìt*:-
Canon Marketing (Hong Kong) Co. Ltd. Tel.21702B2B
...
FoR Youn Bnsr SHor
Canon OFFICÆ SPONSOR OF VORDCUPFWCE?A
membership stands just above the 1,200-mark and we're seeking means of boosting that figure substantially. One idea is to offer the oppol-tunity to spread joining fees out over a peliod
of time. Improving numbers,
therefore subscription income, is probably the single most important challenge facing us. The last thing we
Put on your
thinking ext spring marks the 5Oth anniversary of the FCC's presence inHongKong andthe board
questionnaire will be/./senf to
is drawing up ambitious plans to
members soliciting yotir views. In the meantime, please f{el free to send in your suggestions, views,
and welcome all suggestions, no matter how zany. The 40th anniversary, for those who can
comments and, yes, gripes.
celebrate the occasion. 'We're still at the stage of tossing ideas into the hat
One of the lossleaders is the downstairs pool bar. It attracts aloyal
be an even bigger and
following of pool and snooker players in the early evening but is empty for long stretches of time
notwithstanding. After all, there are
during the rest of the day. How can we improve usage and
remember that far back, was a huge success; we're hoping the 50th will
more spectacular affair, the recession
not too many institutions with
an unbroken half-century long presence
in Hong Kong.
\íhile we aim to make an
occasion out of the anniversary itself, we're not ignoring innovations now. I've banged on before in this column about the economic hard times facing this Club, indeed all of Hong Kong,
and the challenge of not only weathering the recession but emerging ready to take advantage of the good times when they eventually return. This hinges on making the Club even more attractive to as wide a section of (interesting) people as possible. Over recent weeks, members of the Planning Committee under the
stewardship of Second Vice
President, Jerry
Richardson, have
invested considerable effort and many man-hours (should that be person-hours? Political correctness isn't my strongest point) examining ways of increasing efficiency, streamlining costs and raising revenues.
our takings? Several members have suggested putting in a juke box, turning the lights down and staying open late enough to attract those who otherwise drop hundreds of dollars in the late-night bars of Lan Kwai Fong. It could also prove a boon to newspapef sub-editors and production staff who don't finish work until the wee hours. Another suggestion is to transform the place into a late night jazz and blues bar though that would probably require us to jettison the billard table, upsetting our extremely loyal band of snooker aficionados. One more suggestion, this time for improving day-time use, was for a cybercafe. We already have much of the basíc infrastructure in place
or wíll do when the leased line for lightning quick internet access to match the new state-of-the-art equipment donated by IBM is finalised.
The verandah and function rooms are also under-utlilised segments of the Club. \Ve would like
taking it-beyond the magic HK$1,000 mark. In this climate, such a move could seriously backfire. I'm sure the screams of outrage would be audible
in the Antarctic.
feedback stage.
is
fall back on the traditional
hiking the monthly fee,
means
to improve usage and are looking at improving the decor and equipment for press conferences, seminars and fine dining. 'We already offer special dining, with customised menus and wines, which is attracting some corporate business. Next time you're planning
a
function,
a
There are no shofiage of ideas mooted
aggressive merchandising
sponsorship of of FCC memorabilia, club events and so on. And at risk of
repeating myself, please don't feel shy about articulating your ideas and views. Though preferably not verbally
So let
reducing outgoings without compromising quality and service.
Increasing membership possibly tbe key
is area. Our active
it's ingenuity.
DianeStormont
Guam Visitors Bureau, Pacific Islands Club and Continental Micronesia Airlines, will also launch an Island Food Fiesta in the Main Dining room.
translate-ideas into reality. Even if you
- placing an ad sourcing merchandise, in this rrragazíne, helping with a gourmet theme night or expanding it all adds up. the membership - side of the coin, On the other we've sought cost savings. One that has worked is the appeal for prompt payment of dues. The posting list and number of rubber cheques has shrunk, improving our cash-flow and reducing administrative costs. So my thanks to all who have made the effort. \ùle're also seeking further ways of
adin Tbe Correspondentcoùnts. I'm certain that if there's one thing FCC members have in abundance,
exfravaganza atfhe Main Dining Room on Thursday, October 8. The Island Fiesta Dinner Show, hosted by the
As well as the exotic food and entertainment there will also be a chance to win trips for two, flying Continental Micronesia, to Guam staying at the Pacific Islands Club.
cannot spare the time to join a committeebutcan give us ahandwith whether it is a one-off project
and
membership. So every idea, every suggestion even every classified
For the third year running the Guam Island Fiesta, Chef Ronnie Guillermo and the Island Fantasy Dancers are heading back to the FCC for another sense-sational cuJinary and dance
late on aFrlday Zoo Night around the Main Barl
'What we also need are warm those who can help us bodies
by improving revenues
lslâñb Íiestâ
!Øe
offer the best value in town.
In an ideai wodd, we'd hope to battle our way out of the slowdown
Guatm
news conference
or a par:y, think of the FCC firstl
However, establishing a practice of charging differential subscriptions couldprove tricky. \Øe are, however, examining a series of options -and I have to stress the word examining.
They include, among others, an optional laisee fund and a spouse-lØe're in the throes of card charge. drafting a questionnaire to solicit opinion and again, I must emphasis that we are only at the seeking
want to do
caps!
They've come up with some interesting proposals and a letter and
and
Some members of the Club have indicated they are willing to pay more (I hope it wasn't in vino veritas but I have the names carefully recorded).
your hair down and experience a little island living. Book now and don't miss out on what is one of the club's most popular events. Guaru is tbe gateway to tbe islands of Micronesia and is an easily accessible escaþefrom Hong Kong's dai.ly grind. Treøt yourself to the luxury of 5-star botels, wbite sand. beacbes, superb golf courses, grea.t d,iuing, fßbing and all ma.nner of watersporls. Continental Micronesia is offering ø sþecial u,teekend packøge witb prices sturting
just HK$3,500, exclusiuelyfor FCC members wbicb includes airfares, 4 døys/3 nigbts' accommodation at PIC Guam or Saipan at
an d. airp
o
rt t ran sfe rs.
7.3O pfl, Thursday, October 8 FCC Main Dining Room
$zlo per head
Call 2521 1511 for reservation
Pectptc(à
Guam Visitors Bureau
ktb
islon Bísí tan Qua
h a
n
Continental Micronesia
lsr¿¡rps Crun August 1998 Tf,E
-
C0RXf,SPONIIDIIT
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the 15-year old computer hacker, his boyishdemands(atriptoDisneySíodd, a lifetime subscription fo Pløyboyand'
journalistic honours
chemotherapy it would probably have been just as harrowing as the column,
but there was no 'Claire'
a Miata' - whatever that is) and a bogus
been letting fiction ring in at least
there had been a 'Claire' going through
just
as
- at the there was no sarin gas to chuck NVA. As for Monica and the President? 'ùØho knows? It has all been a collision of highly creative and engaging fiction.
software company called Juckt Micronics fol which he created voicemail and a fanciful web page. This piece, priedintobyaninterestedreader, got Glass rumbled. He also wrote an
It has
shocked and horrified those of the
American media who have never written bogus stories or ftln them on flakey sources, or notyetbeen found out either. It has not noticeably concerned the general public, who are forced to listen to joulnalists of one sort or another every day on the slush of US air time and are little surprised.
estimated 20 or so more works of damnìnglyfunnyfiction, creating, along the way, a'gangbangfantasy about the
Conservative Political Action
Conference at the Omni Sheraton in \Øashington', a 'First Church of Herben \)Øalker Christ' and a "Commission to Restore The Presidency to Greatness'
which had a 'senior deputy' who
That has not stopped self righteous hacks falling upon
$ G
scrapping for vifiue.
First and rnaybe foreof
software company attempting to buy him off from his intrusions; of an ugly single girl being stripped for sex and humiliated in a hotel roombya crowd
Tl-re rnedia in tkre IJS is under attack as rìever
t>efore, particulafly f<>r its accurac;2. Has the Arrrerican For- rtkr Estate lost its 'sacred trl-st' qzithr thre people it inforrrrs? 7-Vte (:orresi)oncletzt's intrepid reporter in Los Angeles, forrr-rer I{ong I(ong columnist and krtrrnor-rrist, Sttzctrt IXTo lfen c)cz /e, resr ieqzs tkre situation
of young Republican
conference
delegates and, down awhole column, of the agonies of a woman called Claire
dying fi'om breast cancer. They were
told in print and on television of Operation Tailwihd when, in September 1970, a swashbuckling American special forces unit called in the deadly nelve gas sarin on their North Vietnamese pursuers deep in the Laotian jungle. And then there's Lewinsky gate
beginning in January, the American public and the wodd were informed by plactically every medium to hand that someone working in the \Øhite House had actually seen "it", thus beginning one of the longest mnning 'he-said/she-said', speculative stories in American history. Reality check: Actually, there was no teenage hacker, nor was there a software company. No Republican scallywags demeaned any ugly girl. If
Tf,E C0RRXSPOI|IIf,NT August 1998
a coincidence. The
elements are not similar, neither are they new. The
o/Brill's Content wbicb d.etails tbe Lewinsky søga
mediaethics
is
it
because she had
another four of her column
s.
The Globe
has just bounced its columnist Mike Barnicle for false reporting.
'!øith that ineffable racism even womanish liberals can't quite buck, Karen Grigsby BaÍ.es 'a regular contributor' Io the Los Angeles Times,
writing a piece of well-meaning porridge in the op-ed p age, gotP atricia Smith in as 'a black columnist' at line four. It was as though the breaking of the rules by a young black writer, who had got so far, was an especial loss. Bates revealed, piously, that she once talked to a woman in a drug store on the corner of Rodeo andLa Brea who was having
teat of
most, the great ethics crisis
Tn tn. last few months, Americans I read ol a 1,5-year old computer hacker's petulant demands to a
US
the
not for 'Claire' but they- still didn't think
she could -keep
each other in print like piglets
1998 The oþening sþread
admittedly
to fiddle welfare
l)F.¡rSS
Too Good
up the idea of building
b Be True
a
column around her because
At the N¿t¿ Republic, a young star crashes when some of his best stories turn out to be lies By ERIC POOLEY
r-ules to
make ends meet. She passed
"she was speaking to me mother-to-mother, not
reporter-to-source.
said to represent 300 hackeN), a tÈde aswiatio¡ called the National Asembly of
I
....
wrote something else." The llackem and a Califomia softrqre fim journalist as mothel. Oh, are unrelated. The cases are called Juk¡ Microni6 No¡re ofiL ii real, When Dlgifol 1øl sta¡ted æking questhe humanity! Such fastinot representative. They hons, Clæs creâted a phoDy @rpùrnte diousness suggests thatthere come out of the high visibility was a Daddy Bates back end of the business; barely a Time 3 expose of tbeNew Republic 3 Steþben Glass there bringing in some bread boondocks in any state gets a iook in. And this, as we know, is a claimed'Bill Clinton was a woman and to ease up on Murnmy Bear dropping off copy between the kids in The Valle. business, owned by generations of Hilary's lesbian lover'. But that is Southern California, the callous capitalists employing star Commentator John Corry in the operatives who wish themselves American Spectator, a conservative fist, wodd's most violent pink blancmange. claims to have seen what was a Smith and Blown were altogether more somewhere on a line of style running through Philip Marlowe, Robert succession ofred flags in Glass' copy as audacious and, it is assumed, under Kennedy to Ralph Nader. So, who early as March 1997. It was a detalI more pressure back East. Butwhat kind of pressure? Some blame a new elitism should be surprised by a slight run of involving 'lipstick..rubbed off on her wine glass leaving only a chenlz outline', amongst the brightest young writers. manipulations? a detail beautifully obserwed in a room Nowadays, they come out ofjournalism Daniel Schorr', senior news analyst for National Public Radio, writing in at the Omni Sheraton, he claims, which school (detention for filing lv¡çz) and Glass, in the context, could never have the best are snapped up in Washington the Zos Angeles Times fuom modern been positioned to see. The New and New York without ever having America's fresh Olympus of truth and Republic offered a breakdown in their cor.ered so much as a local school board talent, Aspen, Colorado, waspishly 'counted the sins' of journalism in fact-checking system as an excuse. meeting. This lament ís all very well, Corry claims that was lame. "Many but if they have spent rnonths, yeam in three ways: . telling things that were not so; supposed facts defy checking and these schools repeating over and over . telling things we believe, but should be submitted instead to a smell to themselves the rather naffow canon test. The 'cherry outline' was one. of journalistic ethics, why did these cannot substantiate; . telling things that are so, but ale Desperate Juckt executives' attempting prodigies run out of the gates and to buy off a teenagel was another. " proved by questionable means. straight into counterfeiting? Then there was Patricia Smith of Magazine lournalists in'ùØashington I'll go along with the categories, the B oston Globe who created'Claire', and New York have been telling how the first being the most fun. supposedly a composite of women a zippy and hip writing style is valued For the liberal intellect and nose strffelers. Ms Smith actually won a in those places ovel solidly sourced hair trigger wits of the New Republic, PulitzerPrize, one ofAmerica's highest facts. Young high fliers are encouraged 26-year old Stephen Glass made ttp circumstances they appea r in
Àugust 1998 Tf,E
CoRRESPoI|I¡ENT
he has imperiled. (I just wonder if
putting themselves under an impossible pressure to produce
in fact so close to his printed parody that he had
me fired from a magazine he was unfortunately a partner in.
adequate copy.
I don't think
Daniel Schorr's second category, 'telling what we believe but cannot
to pinch some unfortunate African infant on the bum just to get the tears rolling along with the camera. No,
so. I think more like Jacob \Øeisberg,
substantiate' is rather more serious stuff
to write for the political weeklies and moonlight on the Manhattan glos¡ies,
So they make it up.
formerly
of
Vanity Fair and now
writing in the electronic ma gazine Slate (which may have gone belly up by now), talking to Howard Kurtz in the Wasbington Posl. He cautions against
reading too much into isolated examples. "You're going to have ambitious people who cut corners. People who make stuff up do it regardless ofthe pressure to produce. I don't think its rational. It comes from something deeper."
Actually it is a rather shallow power trip and tremendous fun. The cognoscenti readership adores you. Colleagues mayresentyou, but pat you on the back for
a
while
-
and the editors
are being- congratulated on you by their peers at important cocktail parties. You're fireproof. You know
that real life is neither as neat nor as amusing or damning as your imaginationcanmake it. So, why
foregoing did something
probably not.) Arnett, in fact, was called
to task by CNN's top
reprimanded, but not fired. By the way, at J-school' as they uselessly abt¡reviate it, there should
magazine.Y ietnam combat (well, Laos,
lhose who have not prattled to camera in the stench of death as being lesser
close enough), killing treacherous deserters sunning themselves, the infamous Toþo-subway sarin gas and ... Peter A-rnett, famed for his CNN coverage duringthe Gulf War(he stayed
behind in Baghdad and repofied the bombing) and, what is often forgotten by this new generation of journos and readers, respected by his peers for his
be a cautionary semester for
trernendous
ñrn
humour and cheery mockeries of the great and good, I made up people in columns. I don't know if the Soutb CbinaMorningPosthadf acts-checkers
then. In the event, they were probably monitored more closely than the UN's Iraq chemical weapons inspectors.
featured Ah Chuckle and Ah
Knuckle who testified regularly for the
common man. There was John McPipesmoker, the civil servant; Reg
would-be
foreign reporters against regarding mortals.
It is a quite forgiveable
arrogance but, still, âmongst the rest of us, not appreciated. Schorr's 'telling things that are so but are proved by dubious means' is perhaps his most interes-ting category. Diane Sawyer did a piece for ABC on
tainted meat in a Foodland store in
'People uztro rrralse sûuff up do so regardless of ttre pressure to prodrrc<:' --- it is a stral'louz pouzer trip atrd
the Hong Kong press actually nn
dogs,
since real people are involved. 'SØell, some of them an1-way. CNN/Time, worried by ratings, so the story goes, was desperate for a blockbuster opener to their ollaborative NewsStand TV
1,966Puli¡zer Prize for his Vietnam war coverage fortheAssociatedPress.'Slhat could be better? 'Sl'e
know now that there was no
'We can be certain that an sarin gas. elderly retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs was badgered for hours, the operations commander was quoted pathetically out of context, 'strenuous excerpting' was practiced on interviews. Arnett took some punches personally for 'doing the bidding of producers reading words written by others' . It was the presence of his name in the byline that allowed Time's coverage to have such an impact. (Both Time and CNN have since apologized for the story.)
sued mercilessly. Now the
Cincinnati Enquirer has had to crawl in apology all over its front page for a
week and pay
US$10
million damage lor stating Chiquita International had been up to no good in Colombia and
thereabouts. Unfortunately but splendidly, the reporter, Michael Gallaher, got the story by stealing the company's voice-mail.
But what of the ethics? The allegations of attempted bribery and the spraying of dangerous pesticides are still out there. Schorr believes Gallaher has laid the facts bare. The Justice Department is not moving along
from this one either. They are now
meant to be read so, except that in
Arnett will need another type of courage to face fellow on-camera correspondent, (the newly-married) Christine Amanpour, who had been bellowing and writing op-ed pieces
Hong Kong, realiLy could so easily
against Arnett and in support of some
powerful firm be protected from
outrunfiction. Itwas humourof course 2 þ¡¡¡6¡r column. Rut one of the
sacred self-proclaimed trust beñveen
decent, time-honoured phone snoop?
herself andtheviewerwhichshe thinks
One man who is not being
industrialist; Euphemia Oo Aw, the Singapore socialite; Godfrey Stair-Rod,
society barrister; and Ulrich von Blok und Takel, the pederastic Prussian toy exporter. They were to some degree fiction, or composites atbest, andwere
-
pick up densfty and pick up
it is they are on the receiving end of.
Much of the media, particularly the
density.
Living
rightwing and obsessively anti-Clinton factions, revile Brill, his piece and his magazine as a result. It may be that commentary on the Presidency in the
as
I do in
a
society of flashy and
hard-worked'premiere issues', I am not that easily suckered but content. Speaking to the Los Angeles Press Club, shortly after the launch of his magazinernJuly, Brill makes a parallel of what is being said of the media now with what was said lately of the justice system in US. The high profile, publicity
chalged O.J. Simpsontrial did not
a
United States is now in so fragile a condition because of the President's undor-rsable randiness. There are, though media develop-ments which create ineffaceable giddiness which was not there a few years before.
It is worth quoting NBC's
reflectthe normal standards of work-
aday court justice throughout the countly. Likewise, he claims, high
lism does not leflect the unsung decencies of more
to admit to falsifying his log. Both stations were
ntor"e d.ensily and by late afternoon , I have to look at something that has not just shape and density but some real veneer and I have to decide what to
damning and more disturbing than the othel ethical transgressions because it was not, and still is not, seen as one.
recently , Dateline NBC lied to a trucker [o get him
some faces a visible and giddy want to
bring down the President. In others there was the lucid anxiety over keeping up with the rest of the circus. Brill's'Pressgate' account is
has just published a vety full, well written magazine of some quality calIed Brill's Contentwhich calls itself the 'independent voice of the information age' , and sets itself up to inform the information takers of what
profile'entefiainment' journa-
investigating, according to Tbe New York Tirnes.It seems thatJustice finds the charges too specific to ignore. So, did Gallaher achieve that much that was morally wrong? In an 'information wodd'where details on everything an ordinary man legally owns in the United States is accessible to anyone else at the touch of a few buttons, why should the alleged malfeasances of a
Strickley an expaúiate executive responsible for discipline and wogbashing; Barrie O'Cendiary, the Ulster
panicked by this entertaining collision of wickednesses is Steven Brill who
7992 by trespassing. More
that something called
not give it a little help? In a former age when
I
Amanpour has ever even been tempted
local, less
spectacular
repofiing that goes on everyday away from the tabloids and the 'celeb' magazines. Brill's contribution to the ethics debate tn Contentwas his piece titled 'Pressgate' in
which he detailed the coverage ol the Monica
Lewinsky scandal in terms that
demonstrated the media as craven, idie and desperate in their sensationalism. The press, claims Brill, took their leads from blatanf.leaks from Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr'. (Blill could be right federal Judge
who's Norma Holloway Johnson,
Tom
Brokaw on the tidal mechanism that affected reporting on Lewinsky, as he
--- tre (Brill) detailed ttre co\rerage of ttre l\tronica I-euzinsk5z- scandal
in
terrrrs ttrat ttre rrredia derrronstrated as cfa\z.en, idle anrd desperate in ttreir sensationa-lisrrr told it to Brill. "The difference berween this and \X/atergate is what I call The
Big Bang Theoly of Journalism." explains Brakow. "There's been a Big
Although it should be no worse than taking any other source information without skepticism, being drip fed by the prosecution seems particularly unforgiveable in a press free to give it
exponentially.... Back then you had no 'Nightline', no weekend 'Today', no 'Good Molning America', no mag zine shows except'60 Minutes', no C-Span, no reai talk radio and no CNN oTMSNBC ol Fox doing news all
Anyone who had no day job to go to and followed the media in those last days of January could not deny the indiscriminate hysteria that gripped it. You could understancl the 17th-century
witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts and the 'communist' paranoia of the Fifties brought by Senator Joseph McCarthy's hearings. There was in
That's kind of what
happened with this one".
Let us never forget the phrases more
A self-styled 'Committee of
Concerned Journalists' f an an analysis
of
1,565 reporting statements and
allegations during the filst six clays of 47o/o were not factual at all but were analysis or
the Lewinsky farrago: speculation; only 26
%o
were based on
namecl sources and 30o/o
of
the
reporting was based on no sourcing at all by the outlet publishing it. One of Brill's article's conclusions for consumers of the press is that they should ignore any account that
tries to foist the term 'sources'on them without
incharge of Starr's grand jury, recently admonished him for leaking material.)
the finger.
- it do with
Bang ancl the media have expanded
The news process has expanded greatly.......Some small piece of matler, maybe a rumour, can get pulled into the vacuum at night on a talk show, or in the morning and get talked about on day.
...
radio or CNN or MSNBC cluring the
qualification. The number of soLlrces should be specified is it two or 20?
and the
-knowledge and- bias
of
soLrrces should be described
even if they can't be named; i.e. 'a !Øhite House source said. . .' or 'a source from the
Independent
Counsel's office' said. (That holes and sinks a cor-rple of my recent efforts. The trouble is, 1f, in Hong Kong, you say 'one' and describe knowledge and bias, they identify the poor which he'll sod a[ a stloke
-
then go and have).
Back to Pressgate: Had it not been for the healthy and callused skepticism of the American people themselves, who utterly lefr¡sed to be drau.n, those
few days could just have toppled
a less popular Presidentwith less cheek.
Compared to that week of ethics to I give Mr Glaham of Cincinnati rnany thanks iorhim having-come up
with some seriolrs facts even if l'ie did have to use a flashlight and a jernrny.
And to Mr Glass
any writel who
- discovered can claim to have
a
Christian sect which obselves kosher dietary laws, is divided on pork rinds but eschews bloccoli, is clying or,rt for
look folward to
day and pic k up some density, then get
a humour column. I
talked about some more or put on a website that afternoon and þick up
his next hlrmoul piece.
August 1998 rHE
CORRÍSPONIIENT
I@
The Club has a sixteen seat "loge" at Shatin Race Course. So if you want to enteraainyourself and/or your friends on a'Wednesday evening or Saflrrday/ Sunday aftentoon/eve ning. Contact Sarah Chîf, the membership Secretary at telz 2521, 1522 or the receptíon
The prices is only HK$80.00 which includes aJockey Club guest badge (HK$50.00) and a seat (HK$30.00) in the loge
Taking the IIK dollar down apeg ne of the hottest economic
Kong dollar bank account to another
overestimate
i¡
and prices
will
rise
topics in the next year or so will be how long China can maintain the
currency. To offset their lack of
current value of its currency, the Renminbi. Officials on the mainland say that they are committed to holding
the budget deficit (surplus) must be
unacceptably. Getting it right is notoriously difficult, which is why central bankers get paid well, and
reduced. This changes demand for the currency. Governments are usually the biggest competitors for money: if they want more of it, business pays higher interest rates. Back in the good old days when global currencytradingwas onlyabout the size of the global economy (say,
currency traders much better. Fixed exchange rates take away changes in the value of the currency as a measure of economic health and official wisdom (if any). Instead, interest rates are the main mechanism by which people tell The-PowersThat-Be what they think. If you (the
steady, but only rf Japan can maintain the value of the Yen at Y140:US$1 or stronger. But, what of Hong Kong's peg to the US dollar? Can, or should, the government continue to hold the line, especially when almost every currency inthe region has lost ground?
confidence, interest rates must rise or
useful
market) don't like the way the
The Hong Kong dollar peg is a political peg, not an economic one. It was put in place in October 7983 in
measure of the quality of government
economy is going, you will decline to
policy. Now, currency traders'
accept current interest rates
attention spans are about three
response to fears for the future under
minutes, and long term is after lunch. "Sentiment", following the crowd, is vastly more important than policy.
compensation for the risk involved in holding the country's currency. This
Chinese rule and the subsequent explosion of capital flight. The effective depegging ofthe Thai baht the day after HandoverDay set off the worst economic crisis in East Asia since
the Japanese \Øar. On that day (although we didn't know it at the time), the Hong Kong dollar peg shifted from beinga political peg to being an economic one. Changing the peg in the or abandoning
- have -past yer would
1983), forexmarkets provided
a
Fixed or Free? Prior to October 1983, Hong Kong }rad an exchange rate fhat fluctuated freelyagainst the world's currencies. A free float requires confronting market pressure supply and demand for your
currency with fiscal and monetary policy measures aimed at- creatirrg a stable economic environment. These days, it ain'teasyl If the twentysomethings in The
This is on a first come first serrre basis
City and on The Street think the govemment's latest budget is BS, they will sell the currency short. If it gets
First Race ort September 6, 1998, Sunday.
bad enough, Mrs Chan buys gold omaments and Mr Lee shifts his Hong
will cause a decline inliquiditywhich, in turn, will lead to higher interest rates as banks and others seeking
lftre Elong l(ong dollar peg is a politica.l peg, not afl .ecofrorrric ofle
been
economic suicide. However things are changing, sort of like a typhoon can be calleda change in the weather.
as
That's why central bankers "talk up"
(down) the markets.
If it
can't be conveyed in a 30 second sound bite, it won't sway the markets. To maintain a relatively stable exchange rate (very useful, as those of you planning next year's budget will appreciate), officials tryto predict supply and demand for money. They guess howfastthe economywill grow
(contract) and how fast prices will
capifal increase the amount of "rent" they are willing to pay to use your money. The government
can increase the supply of local cuffency by either selling what dollars (Yen, Euros) is has; printing
more (usually unwise); or by cutting the amount of money it uses (lowering taxes or spending, which they just hate to do). One of the problems with a
fixed exchange rate is thatbase interest rates are determined by the people managing the currency to which yours is pegged. Hence, Alan Greenspan decides what US interest rates should be and Hong Kong follows. (\Øe also
haveto pay a premium abovethattate, because the our neighbourhood isn't as fancy as Alan's.) Another problem is thatif capitalflows freely in and out of your economy, you will need to keep
rise (fall), and usually try to target one
a high level of foreign
The combination of the two-say, 5o/o real economic growth and 4o/o inflatíongives a rough target (9%ù for money supply growth. Underestimate the farget and you risk stifling growth;
reselves (dollars, Yen or Euros) with
or the other (or both).
exchange
which to defend your cuffency. Countries in trouble due to a rapidly declining exchange rate or soaring inflation (usually both) may tryto peg their currency. Israel, Mexico, August 1998 Tf,E
CORRf,SPONIIENT
later, and guarantee
Poland, the Czech Republic and Estonia (among others) successfully achieved this, with a resulting very sharp contraction in the real economy.
Pegging requires strong foreign reserves, which Hong Kong has. It also requires picking a defensible exchange rate, which Hong Kong selected in October 1983.
Is that rate,
to levels that would once again attnact people to "trust" their wealth to the Hong Kong dollar. It would also send
HK$7.8:US$1, still
appropriate? That depends on how
closely your economic conditions match those of the country to which yourcurrencyis pegged(i.e, the United
States). Hong Kong's economy is clearly not similar to that of the US, but at the time there was little alternative.
Now, olÌr economy is highly dependent on China and in
the economy into an even deeper tailspin.
\Øe're a free market economy, right? So, why not just let the market decide the value of our currency? In
the current regional economic
another change would be acceptable
and debugged, is to peg the currency to a basket of currencies that reflect
our trade and capital flows. For example, we might devise a basket made up of 400/o Chinese Renminbi, 250/o US Dollar, 20o/o Japanese Yen, and 5o/oEuro.
It is foolish to believe that the
Renminbi and Hong Kong dollar can
remain pegged to the US dollar forevermore. There will come a day when either, or more likely both, will be revalued (up or down). To insist in
a time of crisis thât these pegs will remain come hell or high water (please notethe floodingup north!) maymake sense. Nowis the
way down. Typically,
for
for a change.
HK$S.5:US$1 (a modest 8.2% devaluation), would suggest that
Another alternative, and one I think needs to be discussed, debated
environment, letting the Hong Kong dollar float freely would be equally dangerous. The first movement in the exchange rate would be down, a long
competition with Singapore. It is time
To De-peg or Re-peg? Simply changing the peg, to say
intense
speculation as to when and by how much the next move would be. Hong Kong residents would shift their money into what they think are more stable, or stronger, currencies. That would reduce the attraction of holding Hong Kong dollars (a gamble that the rate would hold) and drive up interest rates
markets
overshoot and such a move this year would probably lead to a rate of HK$ 1 115:US$1, with a consequent surge in inflation.
a
timetobeginbuilding
consensus as to how the change
will
occuf. Daui d O'Rear, regional
e c onotnist tbe Econornist Intelligence Unit, keeps ø bølancedportfolio of cake and uideo coupons, Octopus cards and wine.
@
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Avoid disappointment and order early as stocks are limited. Orders will be available for collection in December. Allow three weeks for personalizing with your name or initials.
information.
HK$240.00
islands are isolated summits of
information.
never joined to the American continent. Their isolation has led to the existence of land and sea ecosystems which are
HK$
80.00
IDD codes and
the Pocket
Diary.
HK$240.00
Order forms available at the front desk or call Lavinia, Sarah, Jennifer, Don or Doris on 2521líll
many, many years. Then \X/odd !7ide FundforNature Hong Kong, of which I am a Board
member and a trustee, was invited to
join an International \øSfF gathering in Quinto, Ecuador, only 600 miles from the legendary islands. Needless tosayl jumped atachaîceto jointhe Hong Kong conference team. The three day assembly was fascinating and productive, sharing as it did, on an
TtrE CoRRXSPOII|IIDIìIT August 1998
major islands,
for the conference to end so I could join the seven day post-conference tour of the Galapagos islands. Unlike Charles Darwin's five weekvisitto the Islands inL835, when he had to fight
world time chart. HK$ 90.00 E. The FCC Catf Skin Wallet. Ideal for
international public holidays; general
13
remained an impossible dream for
size with international
popular week-to-view diary;
origin and consists of
But despite the allure of our
Islands have always been high on my list of dream places thatare waiting to be visited. But because of limitations
D. The FCC Address Book. Handy pocket
new convenient size of 164 x 210mm,
international basis, mutual problems of environmental protection and solutions designed to save our planet from destruction. debate, I waited somewhat impatiently
the popular week-to-view format;
B. The FCC Compact Desk Diary. The
À , nn enthusiastic natu re ,( \photographer, the Calapagos of time and money, the dream
week-to-view format; international HK$320.00
,Nigel -Watt, long tirne FCC rrrerrrt>er, rzisits tk:.e fa"rav./ay ClaIaç>agos fslands. His story and pkrotograpLrs are soon to t>e publishred in a bilingual (Engliskr and CLrinese) edition
international public holidays ; general
C. The FCC Pocket Diary.58 weeks in
atlas.
In the steps of Darwin six smaller islands and 40 tiny islets. The total land arca is 8,009 sq. kms. Only four of the islands are inhabited by settlers from the mainland. The
A. The Desk Diary. 58 weeks in popular public holidays; world
The greatest treasure of tbe Galapagos Islønd. are tbe giant tot"toises, møny weighing ouer 5OO lbs, wbicb gaue tbeir Spanisb name to tbe Islands. At the Cbarles Darwin Researcb Sta.tion on Santa Cruz Island, in øssociation xaitb tbe Galøpagos Nøtionøl Park Sentice, a uigorous conserua.tion and breeding progra.mme, designed to bolster the declining numbers of tbisfabulous crea.ture, is in þrogress.
against seasickness and protracted and turbulent ocean travel on HtuIS Beagle
to get there, my voyage was much easier, more comfortable and certainly
quicker. I flew and two hours later I was there.
The archipelago is of volcanic
subterranean volcanoes which were
unique in the world and have developed life forms which are also unique. This is the fascination of the Galapagos Islands. They are a natural sanctuary of wíldlife which is unafraid of man and is largely untouched by man. As one scrambles cautiously across lava rocks in the company of
August 1998 THI GoRRf,sPotllENT
I i\
Left page, clockwise from top Leftz On Floreana Island a flamingo quietlyfisbes; Tbis blue-footed booby tries sta.mping bß feet in a dance designed to impress tbefemale boobies in hß
ìt
grouþ; ... sometimes witb success as this blue-footed boobyþmale and. cbick bear witness; Two young sen lions, bursting tuitb energ¿ þlay on tbe rocks; Many types of large iguanas are also peculiar to the islancls and catry uitb them an appe¿trutnce of long association uith tbe past tbis golden-brown land iguana is rare and grows to a lengtb of betueenfour and.fiuefeet; Euetywbere beauty abounds, lilee this warblerfincb on flood Island.
This page, clockwise from top lefL: This proud m.ale sea lion lets eueryone know be is in cbarge; The grandeur of this uøued
Photos by
NigelVatt
THE cORRXSPONIrf,lfT August 1998
albatross on Hood Island.; Tuo m.ore marine lguanøs; A pelican clßplays its breeding plumage; Tbis magnificent þredator, tbe tbis one on Galapagos hautk, is found onþt in tbe archipelago James Island
-
August 1998 IEE
CORIDSPOIYIIEIII
black marine iguanas or nesting blue-footed boobies, or picks one's way warily over beaches of fine white
sand, stepping carefully around basking sea lions and their pups, one is very conscious of the privilege of being allowed in this animal haven a paradise of flora and fauna where man is the tolerated guest. My wildlife adventure began as
Above my head long-taile d frigate birds swooped and glided-the males
sandy beach of Bartolome Island with its Galapagos penguins and sweeping
to puff up their scarlet throats to display them hopefully to a nearby, but usually
panoramic views from the summit of the island's volcanic cone. To add to the variely, nearby James Island boasts fur seals, Darwinfinches, the colourful Galapagos dove with a bright blue line circling its eye, and the brown and gold handsome predator of the skies, tlre Galapagos hawk.
sometimes landing
disinterested, female, Then a white flash with an even longer tall, a rcdbeaked tropic bird streakeds across the sky, mingling briefly with passing boobies searching for their last meal of
soon as we arrived. The only airstrip in Galapagos is on one ofthe small islands
the day, and adding to the noisy overcrowding of the skyline.
which gave their name to the
From there we drove a short -Baltra. to the jetly where we distance were boardedzodiacs to take us
Pelicans and fl ightless cormorants, along with hordes of grunting sea lions,
Galapagos. \Øe found them vast creatures weighing over 500-lbs
to our ship Isabella II. The
harbour around the jetty was teeming with marine and bird life. Two sea turtles were cavorting near the jetly steps; a young sea lion had crawled
Then the search for giant tortoises
happily munching lush green grass in the hìghlands of Santa Cruz Island. Eadier in the daywe visited the Charles Darwin Research Station on the island and witnessed some of the
The rematch Neuzl¡z elected Legislatirze Cor-rncil rrrer-rrt>ers IWa.rgalet l.Ig (Legal) a-nd Da,rzid Chu (Election Corrrrnittee) <>rigina"lllz sqlrared off at thre FCC lunckr jr-rst before tkre Handorzer. Here's tkre rerrratckr. Cljtril l)u,rztp corzered tl-re event
\Øl;:
*^'::;:\*
ilï:î:î :i
Constituency and David Chu Yu-lin of the Hong Kong Progressive Alliance (Election Committee) both agreed
the worst were totally off the track. I think we have made some progress, but it is still too early days fo say a
such laws. Think about it: the SAR had every right to enact this law right from
peaceful transition has been achieved.
Central Government started to know Hong Kong better and to stop fearing that it would be used as a base for
think the greatest dangerwe face is to become complacent and to let down oul guard. We still have a long way to go; a lot of battles still to fight. If we rcally care about our freedoms and our rights we can never give up the
subversion, ithas nowactuallyagreed that perhaps this law need not be passed right away, That is another reason why I have faith in the future
struggle. On confidence in tbefuture of tbe
autonomy of the SAR. She: Make no mistake, you ought
SAR:
to be alerted to the fact that some
She: Until we have full dem ocracy, I will find it hard to have fulI confidence
elements of Article 23 may alreadybe in force. Take, for example, the law that states that no SAR political body
I
aboard a small anchored launch and was sleeping comfortably in the cockpit with his eyes closed
the Galapagos National Park
about was that there had been many changes since the Handover. 'Sf'hat they disagreed about was whether
Service to protect and conserve the islands.
these changes had been for the betterment of Hong Kong. In short,
and his head resting serenely over the stern; one brown pelicanwas
Next came the wonders of
Hood Island
birds because ithas the necessary prevailing winds to give them the vigorous lift they need to become airborne. Like many otherspecies
they agreed to disagree. Ng came armed with her notes from the 1997 bott to reconfirm that most of her predictions had come true. Last year, she predicted that checks and balance between the executive andthe legislaturewouldweaken; that new laws would be passed to limit
in the futule of the SAR. Although we now have an elected element in the legislature which will bring greater
they were strutting around
some
moral authority to the lawmaking
displaying andmating atthe least opportunity, making the islands a hive of natural creation. In stark contrast mocking birds pecked at the dead carcass ofa sea lion, and
emphasis on language would switch with a resultant drop in the standard of English. refer to any notes. He insisted the 'one
accountabilify, butwe cannot pass laws
later,"
an abandoned sea lion
country, two systems' concept
is
without the consent of the Chief
How right she was! That afternoon, after a sumptuous lunch on board our new floating
grim reminder of
inevitable cycle of life and death.
workingwell; that pre-Handoverfears on both sides are slowly but surely diminishing; and that relationship between Hong Kong and the Mainland is steadily improving. Following are some of the issues
Executive. He: I have total confidence in the future of the SAR because I strongly believe that itis in China's best interest
outstanding work being done by
home of the - It is the only mighty albatross. island which houses these giant
perched upon the flagpole and
another was paddling slowly toward us with a questioning look in his eyes. I reached for my camera, but the dinghy was waiting. "Never mind," said our helpful nature
guide (visitors must
be
accompanied by a guide and are
required to follow strict conservation rules) "you'll get
plenty more chances like this
cub
struggled fruitlessly to survive, a
Isabela II - my.floating bome
in
Galaþagos.
nature's
just off the Baltra coast. There the wildlife literally abounded. It crowded
line the rocky shore. In the nearby
But the beauty of creation on Galapagos makes the strongest impression on the visitor.
ponderous golden-hued
There are so many unique species that
the beaches, darkenedthe skyline and
Iand iguana makes its slow journey home, \Øhat a splendid display of
have developed in their own way in their own environment. One of these is the swallow-tailed gull which is not
home, we were taken by zodiacs to a small island, SeymourNorth,
scattered itself all over the grey lava rocks which littered the foreshore.
Black and white wooden stakes marked the permitted walkways over the rocks. Despite this restrictions, one had to walk with care so as to avoid stepping on a basking sea lion or its
sandy scrub
a
vibrant life to mark my first day in the Galapagos Islands. Isabella Island, with its protected natural harbour ofTagus Cove, exudes
of
pup, disturbing a blue-footed booby with its eggs orsnowywhite chicks, or
19th century whalers whose ship's names are painted onthe rocks. Nearby is Fernandina Island with its deep black lava rocks and
upsetting an inky black marine iguana
hundreds of blackmarine iguanas, sea
inthe process of relaxingwith itswhite, mask-like face turned towards the fading sun.
lions, lava herons and flightless
TEE CORAESPOilDEI|T August 1998
memories
cormorants.
In contrast with
this
dramatic coast line is the expansive
only beautiful with its striking
markings, but is also unique in that it is the only ocean gull which is nocturnal. The pink flamingo of Floreana Island the flowering cacti on Santa Fe Island all add to the long list of the natural beauties of the Galapagos. For me, my long-awaited dream had not only come true but it had
exceeded all my hopes and
expectations
@
of our freedoms; and the
Chu, on the other hand, did not
the start of its existence. But as the
pfocess, you can see that the votes are
heavily weighted in favour of the government. Given that we can push for greater transparency and
shall have any connection with a foreign political counterpart or a political entity in Taiwan. Look at the Official Secrets Act. Especially at the section that deals with spying. This was enacted in spite of strong opposition. That is why I feel that the postponement of passing Article 2J into law is no great cause for over confidence, On a faster pøce of democracy:
She:
I
have no doubt that the
people of Hong Kong are ready lor a
to have a successful Hong Kong. '!?ithout its freedoms, its own
completely, geographically and
discussed and what each politician had to say about them: On tb e transilion from B ritisb rule to Chinese souereignty:
languages and its rule of law, Hong Kong cannot be successful. I believe that more and more China and Hong Kong will stop to try to find out about
voter turnout at the last (May 1998)
He: Overall, the transition has been
each others shortcomings and concentrate instead on how to
better than most people expected \Øhen I see that international journalists like (ABC's) Ted Koppel and (CBS')
develop areas of mutual benefit.
Dan Rather did not even bother to
He: It is ourmini-constitution and we should adhere by it. The most
come here to coverthe firstanniversary
of the Handover, I know for certain that the transition has been a success. She:'We are only one year into the honeymoon period and alreacly people are claiming that those who predicted
On tbe Basic
Iau:
controversial aspect of the Basic Law is Article 23 which stipulates that the SARwill enactlawsto dealwithtreason,
directly elected legislature. The record elections points to this. If democracyis halted, it will be at the expense of this
government because increasingly there will be a discrepancy between the moral authority of those who are elected and the Executive which has all the power but not the mandate. I think this government and Beijing will strongly oppose any change in the constitution that will allow for a greater
sedition, subversion and the theft of
pace of democracy. But, even if they do, I feel there is enough mandate in the legislature (Legislative Council) to
state secrets. The UK and the IIS have
push for more democracy August 1998 THD
CoRRESPoI|IIENT
in
other
as putongbua is concerned, most peopie in Hong Kong are incapable of
English. Beijing recognised
Executive. He: The transition fi'om a colonial state with no democracy at all to full
communicating effectively. In ourown
democracy should be handled with care. Under the Basic Law, the people
If we don't improve our effort to
written into lhe Basic Law as an official language. Recently, the Government spent a great deal of money to hire native English speakers to come and
ways, such as establishing conventions
between the legislature and the
of Hong Kong will be able to decide by the year 2007 whether they want to
have elections on a one man, one vote basis. My own position is that it does
not matter if universal suffrage comes a few years eadier or a few years later. 'lØhat is more important is to have a
gtadual process which gives everybody in society a chance to
prepare for the change. On the language cbange and. tbe drop in rbe standard of Englisb: She: Our standard of English is even worse than that of the Mainland. You find many lawyers in China who speak far better English than many of our own lawyers in Hong Kong. As far
Cantonese, we
can hardly
communicate with the lest of the wodd. communicate with the rest of the world, we will be left behind. The role model that is nowin force does not encourage the use of English. There are a lot of theories about being bicultural and trilingual. I don't see this happening at
this moment.
I think such aims are
pretentious and totally unreaiistic. He: It's important for us Chinese to retain our own language and culture.
It is equally important that we know English well because this is a gIobaI communication necessity. Perhaps we are going a bit too far in our push for the Chinese langtage right now, but the official governmentposition is that it is important to maintain a high level of competence in both Chinese and
the importance of English by having it
teach English here. The setback in the standard of English is only a temporary one. \ü/e all agree that we have to work to a situation when all our peopie will be fluent in both Chinese and English. Closing remarks; She: I don'twish to bad mouth the SAR. After all, it is only one year old. Perhaps we should give it the benefit of the doubt. But still, I am entitled to some misgivings. I justthinkwe should
(EURATOM).
In
7963, General De
Gaulle and Chancellor Adenauer signed the Franco-German Friendship Treaty. This brought about a historic reconciliation between two historic enemies.
consultation, mutual accommodation
and consensus. This is sometimes
injury to the health of their populations,
is a general reluctance to build
establish economic and monetary union.
ASEAN's corporate culture prevented
institr-rtions and to rely on laws and rules.
put forward a plan to
Is EastAsia prepared to learn the
Indonesia's neighbours from engaging her in a fi'ee and candid exchange of
first lesson? The answer in South-
views. Such a situation would be
east Asia is definitely yes. Formed in
unthinkable in \Øestern Europe.
7967, two years after the end of c o nfro n t a s i, Indonesia, Malay sia and
imporlant in East Asia. I acknowledge
healts were filled with anger and
Lesson
bitterness.'!(/ho could have foreseen in 7945, that two generations later,
The first lesson which East Asia canlearn from the European Union is that history need not repeat itself, It is possible to put aside deep divides of language, culture, religion and
'Sfl'estern Europe
would be united, peaceful and prosperous? No one would have believed you had you predicted that fffty years later, the historic enemies, England, France fH[
GORRf,SP0illlEilf AugLrsr 1998
1
centuries of conflict and war. It is possible for visionary leaders to win
appreciate that "face" is very
IIe: I think Margaret is laying the groundwork for another similar talk
Leaders of East Asia, namely, China, Japan,Korea and the ASEAN 7 (minus Laos and Myanmar) met only for the
next year!
leaders and peoples of Southeast Asia
Singapore's 7-ortznzjt I{oy's, forrlrer arnl>assador to thre IJS and the LIN and e><ecutirze director of tkre Asia Europe Foundation, asked solTre ll.a-rd qtrestions a-n FCC h-rncl-r ^t
world into devastating wars. Seventy million people perished in the First and Second Wodd \Øars, Fifty years ago, Europe was in ruins. Poverty, hunger and disease dominated the lives of the survivors. European
I
that the idea of an East Asian
@
the hearts and minds of theirpeoples
in order to persuade them to discard the bitter legacy of the past and to embrace the sweet promise of a better
future. After the Second \üorld !íar,
'Western Europe was blessed with a number of such leaders, Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman of France were the architects of the European Coal and Steel Community which came into existence in 1,952. Paul-Henri Spaak of Belgium was the principal architect of the 7957 T reaties of Rome
established the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European
Atomic Energy Community
prefel to pursue their goals by building trust, by a process of
although Indonesia's neighbours suffered economic loss as well as
Singapore wele prepared to put aside
believe in.
\Øestern Europe. In East Asia, leaders
international environmental law, and
the quarrels of the past in order to build a common future. \X/hen the cold war ended, ASEAN extended a hand of friendship to Vietnam and welcomed her into the family. The
not let down our defences and we should certainly fight on for what we
Is East Asia prepared to learn from the West? and Germany would be reconciled and that never again would they take up arms against one another. The European Union is nothing short of miracle. It is for this reason that I wish to ask what lessons can East Asia learn from the European Union.
companies were contrary to Indonesian law and contrary to
The culture in East Asia is significantly different from that of
Another European visionary who has been vindicated by history is Paul 'S?'erner of Luxembourg who, inL970,
ale determined to achieve their common vision of one united Southeast Asia. This dream will be realised when Cambodia is admitted
ñ I wice, in the first hall of this I century, Europe plunged the
were set by logging companies and palm oil plantations in order to clear land. Although the actions of these
into the flam1ly. The pictule in Northeast Asia is less satisfactory. I do not think that a historic reconciliation has taken place between Ch ina andJ apan or between Japan and Korea. The ghosts of the past continue to haunt the triangular
relationship between China, Japan and Korea. It is time to exorcise the ghosts. East Asia needs visionary leaders of the calibre and stature of Monnet, Schuman, Spaak, De Gaulle,
Adenauer and 'ùØerner who could simultaneously bury the past and inspire the peoples of East Asia with the vision of a New Asia.
first time in December L997 in Kuala Lumpur. The ASEAN Regional Forum is only four years old. ASEAN is, however, J1 years old this month. It is strong and mature enough to allow for a greater degree of openness in its deliberations. I do not believe that it will be shaken to its foundation if the members of ASEAN were to
engage in a frank but fraternal discussion of the forest fires in Indonesia. On the contrary,I believe that ASEAN would emerge as a mo1-e relevant and stronger institution. ASEAN's failure to take decisive action
in the face of one of the world's worst environmental disasters has reduced its prestige and credibility, in the eyes of ASEAN's own citizens and of the
wodd.
was
for months by a thick
history, the European Union has been
candid exchange of views no matter
how controversial the issue.
Such
openness does not exist in East Asia, not even in ASEAN. Let me cite an example. Last year,
much of Southeast Asia
forest fires in Indonesia. According
able to move forward towards its goal of an ever closer union by
of the fires
creating or re-engineering institutions.
blanket of smoke and soot caused by
to the UN, about
800/o
as "the ASEAN
way" . There
The recent currency and economic crisis in East Asia has, however, shown that the "ASEAN way" needs to be supplemented by institutions. NØe have no regional surweillance mechanism which could have alerted us to the seriousness of the situation. Once the crisis occurred, we had no institution in place which could have mobilised our collective resources to help the economies in distress, in a timely manner.Japan's initiative to establish an Asia Fund, linked to the IMF, was not properly understood and had to be aborted. In my view, the time has come for East Asia in general, and ASEAN
in particular, to strengthen existing institutions and to build new institutions to complement the "ASEAN way".
Conclusion
'!üe stand on the threshold of the third millennium. 'ùØe are also
watching the movement of the tectonic plates of the world's political economy. This is therefore a moment
in history for Asian thinkers to summon the courage to think long
Lesson 3 The third lesson which East Asia can learn from the European Union is that institutions matter. As Jean Monnet once wrote, nothing lasting can be built without institutions. The European Union has established a number of key institutions, for example, the Council of ministers, the European Commission, the European Padiament, the Court of Justice, the Commission on Human Rights, the European Central Bank, etc. At every critical juncture of its
Lesson 2 The second lesson which East Asia can learn from the European Union is the capacity, the ability, and the willingness of the members of the Union to engage in a free and
smothered
community is very young. The ten
referled to
term and to transcend the old paradigm. I believe that our current economic difficulties are temporary in natr-rre. I believe that East Asia will rise again. I wish to inspire East Asians
with the vision that in the next century and millennium East Asia can become,
like \Øestern Europe, an
united,
peaceful and prosperous community.
In order to achieve that vision we need to bring about a historic reconciliation between China and J
apan and between Jap an and Korea.
'W'e also need to enmesh all the countries of Northeast and Southeast in an ever closer union of markets, of peoples, and of our-minds.
@ August 1998 THD CORRXSP0ilIIENI
'Welcome back lio
rr !¡
compared with him." The story she's writing? "It's an essay. It doesn't have any facts in it. I'm not qualified to talk about things like economics."
ifkre AFP's :fi-frr Cribb calrre in to v¡l-ret his .nzl-ristle, a-s tlre sa-;zing goes, and discorzered Ja"n À4orris in tl-re f-¿r corner of the lor-rnge. He grabbed tl- e opportunit¡r to d<; a qr-rick intenzieqz. Thre fa-rned uzriter, v,zhose book Hotzg I{otzg (-Xi¿ztzgkiczng) is still one of the t>est ever vzritten al>out our fair city, rrra"kes it a point to stop in thre FCC u.henerzer she's in touzrì
he was tucked in the close corner
of the lounge eating noodles in soup with vegetables, a glass of the house white at her right hand, when Robyn Lynam commented that Jan Morris was in the club. Discreet heads bided their time before turning to note the presence of someone inexorably linked with the Hong Kong of then and perhaps even now. Nudged forward by Paul Bayfield,
armed with a 'W'aterman ball-point and a thick wad of yellow bar slips, this correspondent approached the
author....... "I'm sort of on my way to Kuala Lumpur," she said, "to give atalkto the annual meeting of the Australian Society of Travel \Øriters. They sent me a fax andasked ìf I'd like to come, "
Morris rathel poo-pooed her qualifications to address any group of
travel writers. 'I think there's a distinction between telling people what they will find in a place and
"For 40 years,
I
had planned to write a book about Admiral Fischer, whose face I fell in love with," she explains, having seen his face jn a history book. She calls it a "capricious evocation" adding "I'll have another affair with him in the afterlife, " pausing politelyto allow a slowscrawl to record what is pefiinently a future fact.
Back to Lincoln. It was the publisher's idea, which Morris says she couldn't initially glasp. "I depend a
lot on being the sort of writer I am, on
place and loca1 experience about people. " Her angle is to "pick up odds and ends I can fiddle around with
- Then, in the process of odd things." her research, Morris discovered that one of Lincoln's gteat, gÍeaf (another great?) grandparents "lived near me in \Øa1es. His name wasJohn Morris. I'm Jan Morris ... a cur1ous coincidence." The book about Lincoln, Morris
insists, is not academic
thousands "The having aheady been written.
perhaps what they might experience. "
academic worid knows
\Øe talk, ofcourse, ofbooks. "The next is about, believe it or not, the US
competitor."
President Abraham Lincoln, he of stovepipe hat and Getffsburg Address fame (Four score and. seuen yea.rs ctgo... ) which I see almost causes a horse laugh with yor,r."
Trust then a fellow FCC member to make those few steps across the lounge and say of her latest book: "I loved Vicious Faces." "You know, I'm having an affair in the aftedife with him," Morris retorts, commenting that of all her books that was the one she liked most. Blushes all round. THX C0RRESPONIIEilT Augtrst 1998
I'm not
a
predilection for humour and fu n. "Even The Tirueswith a reputation of rigidity, had a sense of humour," she says, "Of course 7h e Guardian ).ov ed that," Morris now refuses ever to work for an1'thing owned by RupertMur doch, though she listens with interest about
the editorial influences of young Australian and the idea that the professional lunatics might Tb
teqlÌest for an lnteruiew was: "Please don't ask me what I think of Hong Kong?" But it's there.
Morris arrived on August 1,
a
Saturday. The next day she "popped into the Mandarin" fol a cup of coffee. "In walked in a clergyman, dog collar and alI that. He went straight over to the stand and picked up a newspaper, then oldered a coffee. He looked like a regulal." It turned out to be the Anglican Dean. The conversation led her to question his choice of the Mandarin, thinking him more a Hilton man. "Alas," the ecumenical leader evoked, "I always went to the Hilton, but it's not thele anymol'e." For the
record, Morris was staying at the Peninsula. The FCC, a well one might think of for earlier insights into the functionìng of the territory, tulned out to be ralher dry. Ringing ahead, and checking she could buy coupons, Morris fronted up at the bar. "I'm sure to see someone!"
e
regain control of the asylum.
was
painless, " diplomatically adding "my luggage came through all right .., but I'm nota bag." Thenturning her sights
on architect Sir Norman Foster, "I don't think it's the most beautiful airport Mr Foster has designed Stansted is much better."
-
Morris, \Øelsh though she may
generation was the easiest. We just
them have left." Her philosophy? "Grin like a dog and run about the cily." Something from the Psalms? "My profession is wandering around and engaging Deans in conversation in the Mandarin." On previous Hong Kong visits: "I used to see the Governor, but that
had do things. Thele was no choice," Morris notes. "On the whole, my own
children seem to have stumbled through all right, considering what they have had to deal with. It's been harder for them than it was for me." On travel: "I was forced to travel.
I always thought that the best thing to do with Princess Diana was to give her the Royal Yacht and let her
be, maintains a fondness for the
swan around. Good publicity
monarchy, perhaps not unusual for one of the more notable writers on
'round."
the empire, its rise and fall. "I'm rather fond of the Queen," she says in the context of Australia's agonies towards
experienced a sense of the times. "I
a republic. "I was walking through Hyde Park Corner. All of a sudden, everything went very sti1l ... and there was a motorbike and a Rolls carrying the old lady. A moment later London returned to normal. "Prime ministers and presidents don't travel like that."
Have all her Hong Kong guides gone? "Not all of them, but a
al1
Back in the FCC, Morris don't know anyone, except Claire Hollingworth, and dear o1d Donald ('$7ise). One is dead and the other is
invisible." She heard about Donald death, not through the obituaries, nor from the club, but through an announcement there would be a memorial service." But I couldn't attend," -ùØise's
lot of
was about getting the mood of the place." Morris still loves the Soutb Cbina M orning Posf headlines : "Earthquake kilis one."
On reflection: "I feel like Gene Kelly in Singing in tbe Rain ... jusf splashing around." Later, in the main bar, to a wider interrogation, she talked of grand ports, and shops that car:ried the curios of a destination, and returning to find
the port gone, but the shops, now dusty, still there, "but nobody goes,"
I¡3I
'Going tropo' is a pleasure I{euin Sincl<zir discorzers tkra-t forrrrer FCC r-nerlrbers r¡rake r¡isitors qzelcorrre at the 'tropical front door to Austra"lia.', q¡Lrere tLre casual dress code calls f<>r a" 1>air of sandals and a singlet |]ortheir last 20 years in Hong Kong, I home for John and Jenny McDougall was a flat in crowded
with ice
and yes he still takes his beer and a yarn, he calls the - at nearby Yorkie's Knob. yacht club
local grilled reef fish) is sensational
Causeway Bay. It was comfortable, but haldly spacious. Today, in
The free "booze bus" is sent to pick him up. The vehicle takes you from
Morris is on assignment for the
retirement at Clifton Beach just north of the Queensland tropical tourism capital of Cairns, they can stretch out;
home to club and return; you can drink your fill of the state's famed )OOO( beer or Bundaberg rum without
McDougall firstwentto Cairns as a young merchant seaman in 7940. "l thought this was where God made
their custom-designed home built
worrying about breaking the draconian
Euening Stanclard, ostensibly to tell London about the impact of the Asian financial crisis on Hong Kong. No furlher comment forthcoming. Her views on the ol'erall issue might be summed down to this obseruation.
around the core of an old farm cottage, is a vast 8,000 square feet. - 2.5 acres of lawn, shrubs Set on and coconut trees, virgin rain forest rises on the steep slopes behind theìr house. There's a plush golf club next door. The Coral Sea is a three-minute drive away and the Great Barrie¡ Reef is on the horizon. If the amiableMcDougall, anFCC member for two decades, feels like a
drink-drive laws.
She didn't.
Her early background in mainstream journalism comes up Tbe Times and The Guarclian, and- a
Lachlan at
Her opening statement to my
Of Chek Lap Kok? "It
To the yolrng, well, how many of
us are anymore. "The wartime
Immediate thoughts: "There are much fewer foreign correspondents.
"
"I've grownto compare everyonewith one of mysons who ealns his living as a poet in the \Øelsh iangr-rage ... and if
he can earn
1,5 he's
happy. Anyone
who earns more seems rich to me
drink
"Yeah," says McDougall, watching wild ibis pick at worms on his lawn, which is probably bigger
and the company is friendly and garrr-rlous.
paradise," he recalls.Ittook hima halfcentury to get back. He retired last year and moved into what had been a
small farmhouse he bought tn 7992 and had grandly renovated. FCC memorabilia are found in the vast billiard room where he has the full-
than the pitch at the Hong Kong Cricket
size professional billiard table be
Club, "it's not a bad place." You can say thatagain. A one year
bought from the old Australian Club in Hong Kongwhen it closed down. His
membership at Yorkie's Knob Club costs wait for it! For a - is cheap and -HK$100. year! Beer cold, wine is cheap and good, food (hear,y on the
main lounge is the size of the downstails bar
at the FCC,
with French
doors opening on palm-shaded swimming pool and gardens. August
1!!8
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McDougall and his longtime business partÍrer and paI Ross \X/ay (now living in the American state of Georgia) were the founders of the Kangaroo Pub in Kowloon, among their manybusiness endeavours. They were also charter members of the poetry-fuelled Geebung Polo Club
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which for many years held its uproarious monthly luncheon
meetings in FCC private rooms. He's not the only FCC absentee member on the Marlin Coast. If the local paper, Tbe Cairns Pos¿ seems to have a strong perception of Asia, that maybe because the general managet,
David McGuire, was editor of the Sund.ay Postbetween 7987 and7997. "When I fírst arrived he¡e as editor papef , it struck me that Cairns was the front door for Asians to
of the local
enter Australia," he says. "It's also Australia's majorcityonthe doorstep Asia. The flow is bothways."
of
s. (^ 5
S.
ñ ì'
is studded with sufficient good Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Malay restaurants to keep expatriates from Asia happy. There's much else to make visitors in Cairns wake with a smile. In many ways, it's the idealvacation destination for people from a major Asian business
helicopters, ride rafts downwild white waters plunging from the rain forests, dive onthe reef inmyriadways, rappel down gorges and learn to fly. Bungy
jumping is ubiquitous. Instead, I went on a dawn balloon of the Atherton Tablelands, sailing in the air
both are listed by the UN as wodd heritage treasures. As a major target of Asian tourism and investment, the Pauline Hanson's One Nation may
plantations. It's a sensational feeling. You feel llke alazy eagle as the earth silently drifts beneath you. After that, you drive down the ranges to seeJohn McDougall who restores your nerves
About the only thing Cairns and
Queensland Padiament and gained
with a beer at his built in bar. "Any FCC members coming to
Hong Kong have in corrunon is a hot, humid summer. But the sprawling port city of 120,000 permanent inhabitants
250/o
Cairns, give me a call," he says. "You
sophisticated Cairns, there is no sign of anyracialtension. The citypacks in
strongly and directþ to Asian markets,
reflective of local attitudes. McGuire's two children,Jessica and Nicholas, both attendMandarin classes; when Iwas in Caims recently, they were taking part in a public Mandarin speaking contest.
THE GOIRf,SP0M¡DIIT Augusr 1998
region is very conscious of Asia.
have swept up 11 seats in the
of the state vote, but in
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flight over the placid fields
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can see what it's like to live in 8,000 square feet,"
@ August 1998 THE
CORRESPOI|IIENT
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Tel: 2524 4381 Fax: 2525 O774 E-mail: thurston@asiaonline.net
Editorial Features, Advertising, Corporate and Commercial Photography throughout S.E. Asia and the Pacific
GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY^ AND SO CONVENIENT! Call 2573 4161 or fax 2838 3469 ..... C.P. HO 1605 Eastern Commercial Centre,393-407 Hennessv Road,
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ISHITA BISSET (SHl) - Shanghai Based Management Trainer with PR & Marketing Services Tel/Fax: (8621) 6219 1029
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Neil Farrin Photography has been establ ished in Hong Kong since 1977 ,having tlavelled worldwide on major advertising campaigns, hotel and corporate assignments. Moreover, we have overseas production contacts for all worldwide projects Please call
F.
JONES
Video Cameraman / Editor News, Documentary, Corporate
Mobile: 9104 5358 Fax.29821758 e-mail: RFJones@
FCC L997 T-SHIRT HK$ 1,20. 0 0
Contacû Irene Davidson, Tel¿ 2834 6989 Fax: 2834 4989 Mobile: 9454 2298
This classic piece of Hacker memorabilia now available directly from the FCC
E-mail: car difla'l@ taetvigator.com
Fax:28921727
PROFESSIONAL CONTACTS
State Fund lnvestment Limited lmpofiers of:
RICHARD
THE ARTHUR HACKER
\X/e provide qualified and experienced advice on how to form your own company, handle accounting and auditing and minimise your tax liabilities.
if you have any photographic requirements
Te1225747878 e-mail: asiapix@ hk.linkage.net
Black Tower, Green Gold (German Whites) Cognac Moyet Chateau La Bourguette (Bordeaux Superieur) La Tour de La Bourguette, La Madelon (French Red) Tel: 2891-9188 Fax: 2891-7914 E-mail: btilakoo @ netvigator. com
The Professional Contacts page appears every month in The Correspondent and on the FCC Correspondent web site at >http://www.fcchk.org < . Let the world know who you are, what you do and how to reach you. There has never been a better time. Listings start at just $100 per month, with a minimum of a six month listing, and are billed monthly to your FCC account. copy
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small box @ $300x6mths / $250x11
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Large box @ $600x6mths / $550x1lmths
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For more information telephone 2512 9544 or fax 2575 8600
rHE CORRESPOilDXI{T ,{ugusr 1998
HK
2783 E-mail: gavincoa@netvigator.com
Terry Duckham/Asiapix Te!.25729544 Fax. 2575 8600
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PROFESSIONAL NEWS CRE\ry
GAVIN COATES -'SAY lT WITH A CARTOONI" Call Gavin Coates on Tel: 2984
Pager:71168968 #88Í,8
RAY CRANBOURNE - Editorial, Corporate and lndustrial Tel: (852) 25248482 Fax: (852) 25267630 E-mail: crans@hkabc.net DAVID THURSTON - People, events, travel,wacky digital portraits.
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TV CAMERAS, EQUIPMENT ETC
FINANCIAL & CORPORATE SER\TCES
JENNIFER BOWSKILL - Specialising in podraits,fashion,events, Commer-
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our Hire our Use
A Member of the Hong Kong Society of ReaL Estate Agents Ltd.
FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHERS
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Our experienced team can help you find the right home in Hong Kong. We also provide advice on relocation and offer orientation tours for newcomers on arriyal. Call Jenni Tinworth for more information Tel:2537 5338 Fax:2537 1885 E-mail: firhill @ hk.super.net www.firhill.com.hk
PROFESSIONAL
cial & Coporate photography
*.,
August 1998 Tf,E
C0RRDSPOilDÍIì|T
Farewells After a half-a-dozenyears in Hong Kong, former Board of Governors rnember Col. John Corbett, is heading back to \X/ashington, DC and a desk in the office of the Assistant Secretary of Defence. No, he will not be assigned to study the forward defenses of Iceland, as traditional bureaucratic lore would have it. He's actually going to work in his own area of expertise in the International Security Affairs (East Asia and Pacific) Section. Saying goodbye are Journalist Board members Francis Moriaty (right) and Liu Kin-ming (who has recently been elected as Chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists' Association). Ray Cranbourne, famed photographer and golfer, celebrated "abirthday" recently - we are forbidden to reveal his true age, but can say with reasonable certainty that he is not only under the century mark and can now escape being carded when he fronts up to abarl
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Top left: Iiu Kin-ming, Jobn Corbett ønd. Francis MoriarQ; top: Jobn add.resses tbe gatbering; Ieft: Jobn and Carol Corbefi xoitb club president, Dia.ne Storntont
Former First Vice President Mike Gonzalez of the Far Eastern Economic Review and has been posted to Brussels.
Top left: Paul Bayfield and Mike Gonzalez; top. Carol and John Corbett, Miþ.e Gonzalez and Cbris Slaughter; left: Dauid C)'Rear, club manager Bob Sanders ønd Mike Gonzalez
Happy Birthday Tiger! FCC Restaurant Manager Gilbert'Tiger' Cheng celebrated his 45th recently that's captainJackson Tsang - Michael Tsang looking on. and head waiter
Ar,rthor Chen Fang announced his new book The rl(ratb of God: The Resentment of People, the sequel to his first book (The lVratb of God; A Mayor's Seuere Crime). This second book discloses more sensitive inside stories about China's biggest corruption case that of the former mayor of Beijing Chen Xitong, who was sentenced to 16 years in jail. This book is banned in mainland China because of the sensitivity of the subject matter
All Photos by Hu van es rf,E
COnRDSPoI|I¡EI|T August 1998
Angust 1998 ff,E
C0RRESPoNITDIIT
50 years at the FCC A montbly portrøit of FCC ùrcepløceøbles
1999 marks the 50th anniversary of the FCC in Hong Kong
During next March there will be:
o I monster anniversary pafiy . Lunch speaker series . Cocktail parties o d month of anniversary food Come along and meet old friends or just contemplate your navel over the next 50 years. \Þ
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The Coruespondent plans a bumper 50th anniversary issue
John F. CorbettJr
We plan to look a little at the past, a lot of the present, and a little of the future. We invite ideas and contributions.
The USS Blue Ridge started inviting FCC mernbers to lunch.
Member since: Age: Profession: Nationality: Least likely to say: Most likely to say:
Less than the USS Blue Ridge. Certainly not a sailor.
American. 'ten hut! Speak up my tie can't hear you
We also want YOUR ADS
This is a good way to support your club and your magazine and give your company a high profile in a magazine that will reach the four corners of the globe
Plt otogrøpbe d. by l(ee s Met s el.ø,ar
sponsored
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CORRXSPOilDf,IllT August 1998
by
7Ã Nl
Kodak (Far East) Limited
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Place your bookings with the Publications Committee representatives (Paul Bayfield, Terry Duckham and Saul Lockhart)
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