The Correspondent, December 1988

ts:#å

\\r---t ' 'í. Ko\rG ?ROu'

lgt \lOt\t¡

F-I

ACI(ENS

WANCIìAI PRII\T A fine print in elegant curlicule style by the creator of Lap Sap Chung and designer of the penultimate Hong Kong definitive stamPS. The print which measures 15" x 20" comes in an envelope with a strong cardboard backing for safe

1c15ö ÈlI9-¡¿o"Éf

postage.

¡r6eÉEPN-

Beautifully printed in a limited edition of 500

)¡]6

numbered copies signed by the arttst i.t ts available unframed for HK$300 post free f rom:

1958 The human touch. Sometimes thaÍs what it takes to win the Canon Asia Photo Contest Here3 one such example entitled'Mask Maker." Mr. Onny Tatang of lndonesia shot th¡s Honorable Mention wÚì h¡s C-anon at l/250 second with a 5.6 f/stop using ASA 100 f,lm.

EOS

sysem

is

what

rN5

Arthur Hacker,

48 Mrng Wai Garden, - e¡ntg'

45 Repulse Bay Road, Hong Kong

HG

Cheques payable to Arthur Hacker ORDER FORt\4

*t

ooii** çl*

-11,6ñs Date

'T*t¡É tz

Delrvery Address

so advanced. and Yet

have the winning touch. lt focuses as fast as elecûicity. Thafs why wery

Telephone

which

Send thrs form wilh your cheque to Arthur Hacker, 4B Mrng War Garden, 45 Repulse Bay Road, Hong Kong

^,oÍÉÀ Please send

Srgnature

No of copres HKS300 each

DECEMBER T988

TIIE

VOLUMII 2 NUMBER 2

GORRESPOilIIEIUT

BertaggWll

the cheers. Italyts Enrico

presentation b intrepid radio reporter I from the ecstatic w*Fn-."6qAße

r'-{Í{iiÞ4Þ}frrÞ:îqss*

I2:I5)

-¿.

Anthony Grey in The Middle Kingdom

15

A Man They Could Not Ground

17

, l[:ll:¡|i4rr"- '' Over Xian Hui in a Paraplane ¡'ru;'1,'Wirl{[r.1ùlrri::ì Club News

18

TheToo

2t

Stop Press

))

New Members

23

Crossword

26

20

The Correspondent wishes its readers a yery happy Christmas and a meaningful 1989.

Ed¡tor

P Viswa

NaLhân

BOARD OF GOVERNORS: President - Dcrek Dâvics, F¡rst Vice-President - Sinan Fisek, Second Vic€-Presiden( lrenc O'Sher. Correspondent Member Governors Paul Baylield, James Forrester, B ri an Jcffrics, C râhanÌ Lovcl l, Kei Ih Mi I ler, Rob¡ n Moyer, Peter Sc¡d I rz, Ri chard Wagner.

JournalislMember Covernors - BobDavis. Karl Wilson. Assoc¡rteMemberCovernors - Ken Ball, Wencly Hughcs, DorothyRyan, F C C Schokking i

Fiditoriâl Supervision Publiciltions Sub-committee Pâul Bayfield (Ch¿iman) Ken Ball Jâmes

FoÍester

EditorialOffice THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS'

601 Fu Housc 7 lcc Housc Street Ccntral. HonB KonB Tclcphone: 5-237 I 2 I

COI\'lMl'I1'EES:ProfessionalComm¡tt€e-DerckDavies,PculB¡yfield.Wendy HuShes,Peter Scìdlitz, Sinân Fisek. Entertainment Committee - Irenc O Shea. Perer Seidliiz, Paul Bäyfield, RichardWagner,BobDavies. MembershipCommittee Craham Lovell, Bria¡r Jellries. Technical Committee - Paul Bayfi eld. Kerth N4iller, Kcn B¿ll, Robin Moycr. F C C Shokking Club Mânager: Hcrnz Crabrer, Club Stcward: Jul i¡ Sucn Thc Corcspondent is published monthly lor¡nd on bchal

lolThc Forcign Conespondents' Club, by: Printline l,td,

Fax:5-8453556

IceHouse Srreet, Central, Hong Kong Tclcphoner5-237121,5 255579 Fax:5 8453556

601 Fu House,

CI,UB North Block 2 Lower Albert Roäd Hong KonB

O The Correspondcnt

Telephonc:52ll5ll

Opinions expresscd by wrìters are noL necessarily thosc of the Foreign

Far:5-8684092

Corcspondents'Club

4 THE CORRESPONDENT DECEMBER

7

Manâging Director: p ViswaNathan, Opera tions Director: Debbi e N u tLal l.

Advcrtising Manager: Anthony Markland PrinLedby KadetL printinsCo, Block 4.7/F. Shui Ki lndustrial Building, I 8 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong

1988

DECEMBER

1988

THECORRESPONDENT 5

RE ME,MB E RED YE STERDAYS which Chino

is

the chairman.

"To his office

in the Manila

AMAN OFTHE

Times, Alíce replied simply. "Mr just refuses

to stop

working."

figure sitting in

we can tolerate a nation of highwaymen".

greets mewarmly and introduces me

iii ii

-

to the imposing

we enter the room,

;ii' lii.

chairman about the day's print-order of one of the publications ofthe grouP. I compliment Chino on the acceptance on speech he delivered just a month earlier on being conferred the July 26 to be exact

Philippine Legion- of Honour by President CorazonAquino. In a forthright appraisal of the situation in the country, the speech provided the press, inside the Philippines and outside, with the now famous quote: "We cannot afford a govemment of thieves unless

Chino gets up from his chair as

$

TIMES

Roces

withDonRamonifhe is alright. She isfol- forhisproudpossessions.

We talk abouthis old friends, like the late lowed by Alex Maramag, the general manNorman Soong and AdrianZecha whom he ager of the ManilaTimes, who reports to the

a

"That's brother, Ramon",

says

printed copy of his address and autographs it forme.

"Did the president say anything to you

Compared

afteryour speech?" I ask.

"No, but a few days later, when I met her,

my

Don

Chino.

with his younger brother, Don Ramon is a big man,

with a thickset face which is heavily lined and wrinkled, showing his unmistak-

BY S.M.

able age.

"Please forgive me for not getting up," says

ALI

Don Joaquin (Chino) Roces was a living legend when cancer claimed him as its unwilling victim in SePtember this year. As one of Asia's most distinguished Publishers, Chino Roces was respected and loved as much for his wisdom as for his courage and humanity. Arrested and imprisoned under President Marcos'Martial Law in 1972, in the Philippines, Chino Roces took the fight to the Marcos camp even though deprived of the ownership of his belove d Manila Times. lt he was his will and sPirit collected oYer a million which made it signatures - CorYAquino possible to draft to the anti-Marcos coalition, finally ending the Marcos presidency in March 1986.

6 THE CORRESPONDENT DECEMBER

of the paper as the founder and chairman of the Board and the younger, Don more popularly known as Joaquin P. Roces "Chino" to his position as the þ¿s ¡sfìrn'rsd publisher.Now a shadow is cast over the partner-

HE two brothers one is 91 and the are sitting on straightother 75 - around a round table. The back chairs fumishing in the room is spartan. There are no files or papers on the table, but there is a shelf of books against the wall which is otherwise

mast-head

almost bare. There are also three phones which ring from time to time but the calls are answered from extensions outside the room.

There is a white screen, the kind one sees in a hospital ward, which hides, one is told, a makeshift bed for use by either of the two brothers wheneverheneedstolie down. It is the executive office, with a difference, of the

ship. It is the subject of hushed conversations in Manila among three generations of the country's joumalists, so many of whom have

two men running a multi-million-dollar newspaper chain in the Philippines.

Outside, in the vast hall, it is the beginning of another day for reporters, feature writers and sub-editors of one of Asia's prestigious newspapers, tlrre ManilaTimes which, after its latest reincarnation, draws its strength, more moral than professional, from the recently re-

vived partnership ofthe two brothers. The elder, Don RamonRoces, heads the editorial

1988

worked for the Roces brothers, at one time or another.

It

has been now confirmed that Chino Roces, always a frail-looking man, is suffering from cancer which is said to be at an advanced stage.

So, what was planned for me as a socialcum-official call on afriend of 20 years suddenly becomes a painful duty feel ill-pre-

I

paredfor.

"Are we going tohis house orto the hosI asked my offrcial host, Alice Colet Villadolid, a former localcorrespondent of

pital?"

the New YorkTimes and now the executive director of the Philippine Press Institute of

the older man. "I am 91, well, that's what they tell me."

And he laughs as he does several times during our one-hour meeting, while we sip coffee, smoke, exchange jokes, talk about our mutual friends as if nothing has changed since I last met Chino a couple ofyears ago.

Perhaps, not quite. It is Chino himself who brings up the subject I wanted to avoid, his battle againstcancer.

"You know, I have cancer," he says simpty as if telling me, "Sorry, I have a bad cold".

Then, he gives an account of his treatment, praises his doctors andrepeats their hopeful view, not an assurance, that cases like his have been "cured". Then, much to my astonishment, he lights a cigarette and offers me one.

"I have changed my mind about going to the United States. I will continue with my ffeatment in the Philippines", he says in his somewhat grave but resolute voice.

"But we may nothave all the equipment here", says the DonRamon in a thoughtful voice, an indication that his younger brother's change of plan has met with resistance from within the family.

The subject is abruptly dropped, as a white-uniformed nurse comes in to check

if

we were still on speaking terms. asked She waved herhands in a gesture that it did not matter, and then she said, 'But I will never give another award again"' (To Chino Roces I

orto another joumalist? It's notclear).

Never known among his friends to be a silent listener, DonRamon again joins the conversation. "That's because you offered some unsolicited advice", he quips, quoting the express "unsolicited advice" from Chino's address. also

"You know", Don Ramonsaystome,"I got a Legion of Honour from a Philip-

pine president more than 20 years ago, but I forget which president, and my medal still shines, unlike Chino's which is already a bit rusty. Maybe that's because he delive¡ed some unsolicited advice to a president and I

didnot," he adds

Roces. When I said 'yes', he said that

I

did not

have to pay for the camera. But I paid him anyway."

Don Ramon quickly interrupts his brother, "That's because he thought you were

Chino looks pleased, quickly finds a

comer.

helped in stafiing the Asia Magazine, abott Amitabha Chowdhury and Tarzie Vittachi who got his generous assistance in launching the Press Foundation of Asia and finally about his travels.

"I went to buy a camera in a shop in Hong Kong. The shopowner asked me if I was

me."

Suddenly, a thought crosses my mind, and Imention it to the two brothers.

How about commissioning a joumalist to spend hours, even days, with both Don Ramon and Chino in conversations and then

to v/rite it

all down for what I think will be a unique book, with recollections from the past and their hopes for the future?

Unfortunately, the idea evokes no response. I suspect, neither feels that he has much time for that kind olexercise.

Instead, Chino goes totheshelf andgets acopy of a new publication onthe clan, titled, The Roces Family, Publishers.

Being the elder, Don Ramon signs it first.

He writes my name and says something nice,

"Wishing you the very best of everything for years to come" and, with a flourish, signs his name.

He asks us for the date. "The year? Is 1989?" hehesitates.

"Well, he is old enough to write 1888."

That's Chino again.

it

"Thanks a million", writes Chino and

and laughs.

"Maybe yours is made of pure gold', I sugguested.

"Oh, no, if it was of pure gold, I would keep it in my pocket all the time. I would guard it with my life." He laughs again, and is ready with an anecdote.

"I always wear a small insignia of my Legionof Honour on the collar ofmy barong.

And the other day, at a party, the wife of an ambassador saw it and said, 'Excuse me, Don Ramon, there is a worm on the collar of your shirt, let me drive it away'. I said, 'Madam, that's not a worm. That's my Legion of Honour'. Then, she asked,'Whatdidyou get it for?' Well, I told her that I fought in Algeria during the First World War. God, the poor lady called it a worm!"

While Don Ramon is still laughing, Chino takes over the conversation again.

He goes to the shelf andcomes backwith a couple of boxes containing his medals.

There is one given a month ago by President Aquino and another, received some years ago, from President Macapagal for "community service". We show our due admiration

signs his name, in appreciation of amodest grant that my organisation, Unesco, has just made to the Philippine Press Institute for its training activities.

So it goes on a little longer, a gentle lively conversation laced withjokes, anecdotes and mild banters. I am suddenly aware thatl am witnessing a fascinating, almost an incredible, display of indomitable spirit, alertness of mind and wit of two unforgettable men, one defyinghis age and another a majorillness.

Disregarding my protests, Chino walks with me across the editorial floor and then comes down the stairs, in slow measured steps, with an aide following him behind, and

seesmeoffto thecar. I amtouchedandflattered butl also know that this is Chino's way of showing that nothing has changed since we met last.

M ALi, afotmer managing editot of the Bmgkok Post ancl theHongkongSlandatd,was the execul¡ve dh eclor ol th e M an i la- bas ed P res s F o und alion of Asia beþre j o ining U nesco in I 98 I as ils t egional commun¡caliotr o(lviset for Asia, based in Kuala Lumpur He is due to retire fi'om Unesco at the end of this monlh and t elurtr to jotrt ttolirm S

DECEMBER 1988 THE CORRESPONDENT 7

MEDIA\PHOTOGRAPHY

Leon gts of China

o

China in visual terms. The grandeur, diversity and

ïli.

inscrutability of life in the Middle Kingdom aÍe avisualist's dream.

Leong Ka Tai (above), who studied electronics in America and worked as a comþuter engineer in London, gave it all up in the '60s to devote his life to photography in Paris.

Returning to his native Hong Kong in 1976, Leong set up his own studio, pursuing his creative instincts and offering his talented work to publishing and corporate clients. All the while, he kept travelling across China, recording life on film.

8 THE CORRESPONDENT DECEMBER

1988

DECEMBER 1988 THE CORRESPONINUT 9

M E D IA\PH OT O G RAPHY

From December 75 to 22, Leong opens his fourth one-man photographic exhibition at the Pao Siu Loong Gallery, Hong KongArts Centre.

The exhibition titled "Leong KaTai on China: One to Twenty Four" is a collection of 24 colour photographs from Leong's extensive China portfolio. It captures the anguish, hopes and drama of life in China, notably in Beijing, Guangzhou, Szechuan, Tibet, Shaanxi and Ningxia. Four of Leong's photographs are featured here.

Hong Kong poet, Leung Ping-Kwan has weighed in with a volume of poetry using the exhibition title, which will also be released at the exhibition's opening.

Photographer Leong says his pictures were taken with a Canon Camera, primarily using 20-35mm fl3.5L wide-angle 200m lens, and the 80-200mm Fl4Ltelephoto 200m lens.

IO THE CORRESPONDĂ?NT DECEMBER

1988

DECEMBER 1988 THE CORRESPONDENT I

1

MEDIA\REPORTING 7Hr

ENRICO is

tr,'t

Waiting to take

their grid positions the F3

drivers

prepare for the

third

final session.

time lucky Photographed by Marc Fallander

Even as the curtain fell on world Formula One racing in L988, Macau staged its 35th Grand Prix on the

tricky Guia circuit in November.

Regarded as the most prestigious and demanding event in the annual Formula Three calendar, the Macau

Grand Prix saw drivers from

15

nations match their skills. Italy's

.\ 2

Enrico Bertaggia, making his third visit to Macau, took the chequered

flag from Britain's Damon Hill also making his third attempt in Macau.

FCC member MARC FALLANDER was there to capture the excitement and fun for The Correspond.ent.

単,

The 21st century press photographer, equipped with two.way headset,

rm

After bad luck in the first session on the final day, Joachin Winkelhock makes comments to the media while he sits it out.

The traditional spray of "lVfoet" after With great speed two F3 pass a giant advertising barrier in the main straight.

12 TIJE CORRESPONDENT DECEMBER 1 988

the

winners presentation. 2nd Damon Hill (UK) left, and lst, from ltaly, Enrico Bertaggia.

DECEMBER 1988 THE CORRESPONDENT 13

MEET THE PRESS

MEDIA\PUBLISHING

A guide book for media and marketing in China

could you please tell us when full democracy will arrive in China?" God said that it'll be at least 40 years. And the Chinese burst into tears and walked away. A Singaporean

An encounter with China I I

hearing this story went to God and burst into tears and walked away.

Returning to China, almost two decades after he was released from house arrest in Beijing, author-j ournalist Anthony Grey talks of the epochal clanges that have taken place since Mao unleashed the Cultural Revolution.

A TURNING POINT: Now, going back to Peking was something which I did with a certain amount of apprehension. I've been applying to go back, over the years, since 1969.

Various things happened to my various applications and

flying

HE REASON I'm here is I'm really

I expect everybody knows them already, but

doing the rounds and talking about

I'm going

nications has stuck its fin-

my new nove7, Peking, which is

is steak and kidney, smothered in soy

sauce. The new venture is the China Media Book, published jointly by the UK-based Anglo-Chinese Publications and the Chinese govemment. Corporate Communications, which is marketing the book in Hong Kong, launched it at a cocktail party attheFCC onNovember4.

Anglo-Chinese Press was able to compile such a comprehensive list-

ing because it receivedfirllcooperation from the ChinaAdvefisingAssociation, the Beijing Advertising Corporation and the Guangdong Advertising Corporation. Publications in China must register with one of these organisations, which per-

Touted as the only comprehensive directory to Chinese media and marketing, theChina Media Book is designed to help foreign advertising or public relations companies plan campaigns in China. Its publisher, Anglo-Chinese Publications, has for thepast three years published,in parfrership with the Chinese govemment, The China Economic Weekly, a magazine that clues European companies in on business opportunitiesinChina.

How did Corporate Communications get involved in this venture? Naturally, it just happened to be working another deal with

Anglo-Chinese Press, and the Media Book evolved as a natural offshoot of these negotiations.

As Corporate Communications chiefTed Thomas tells it: "We're not only a media company, but a marketing company, as well."

Corporate Communications has been marketing an EnglishJanguage television series that was produced by Anglo-Chinese Press for viewing on the China Central Tele-

It will be launched, says Thomas, "as soon as we find a sponsor who can come up with 1.5 million pounds sterling." He hopes arecent trip to the UKwill vision Station.

have clinchedjust such

a

deal.

BULLISH: In the meantime, it's too early to tell how rapidly advertising agencies and

a

sequel to Saigon.

lishing pie, and this time the flavour

public relations firms are snatching up the China Media Book, blt Thomas is bullish about its potential in Hong Kong. "Every publisherandmedia company that doesbusiness in Chinaneeds this type of information," he says.

The 312-page,A4-size directory, according to Thomas, will be the first complete guide both to indigenous Chinese media licensed by the govemment to accept intemational advertising and to foreign media allowedin China.

It describes 847 periodicals, andradio and TV stations accepting intemational advertis-

ing; detailing, for example, the publication's ID card, address; telephone, cable, telex or fax,target audience and readers'profile, mechanical details, advertisingrates, acceptable currencies, and officials in charge of advertising. In some cases, independent media surveys are also included.

Besides, there are several chapters on the communications and advertising industry,

recent advertising regulations andrestrictions and economic profiles for different provinces, municipalities, special economic zones and autonomous regions.

14 TTTB CORRESPONDENT DECEMBER 1988

form audits, something that wll'l assve China Media Book readers of accurate circulation figures.

"Advertisers willnow beableto caÍy out a proper campaign in China," says Thomas.

They will now be able to get quick, reliable information on Chinese media, rather than

travelling to eachindividual province and personally interviewing individual publications about their markets, their competition and theircirculation.

The old method was bound to yield certain amounts of misinformation. For example, he explains, Chinese publishers are not unlike their Westem counterparts typically unwilling to give out information about their competitors; they would like advertisers to believe they arethe only market for theiradvertising dollars. Also, headds, without proper audited information, potential advertising decision-makers would have difficuþ sifting circulation facts from fiction.

The China Media Book, pticed at HK$1,050, was initially printed in a run of 3,000, and will be distributed in 29 countries.

An updated directory will be published in Marchnextyear.

This book is an attempt to put the Chinese Revolution inperspective in afictional story which embraces the Long March through to the Cultural Revolution ending in 1978. And it has also been a coincidence that it is being published this year which has been a very remarkable year for me in many ways because of my connections with China.

Having completed the book at the end of 1987,the opportunityarose for me togoto China for the

first time since

it

never came

off. But, it

was

when I saw Her Majesty the Queen standing on a red carpet in the Square of Heavenly Peace with bands playing and Union Jacks

ORPORATE Commugerinto yet anotherpub-

said,

"Could you please tell us when Singapore will achieve full democracy?" And God

I

was released from solitary confinement in 1969. I've been back in China this year to make a totally dif-

ferent documentary. It is called Return to Peking andit's going to be shown on British television in December. I hope it will eventually be shown here in Hong Kong.

I was also able to go to Vietnam for the first time. During the four years which it took me to write Søigon,Ididn'tmanage to get a visa, and I had to finish that novel under rather perilous circumstances, never having seen the country. I used to wake up in the middle of the night sweating, wonderìng how I ever had the effrontery to do that. And being back there this year, I made a documentary called Return to Saigon.

So, so many things have come to fruition this year for rhe.

FASCINATING: I've always wanted to write a novel about China to inject what insights I gatheredfrom my rather unusual stay there, four months reporting as a joumalist, and two years and two months sitting still, reflecting on being at the heart of one of the most puzzling and strange, and tempestuous episodes in China's history.

Going back there this yearhas been very, very fascinating. I came across one or two stories which I'm going to risk telling here,

to risk it anyway.

There's quite an amusing story which sums up one of the changes and it's a joke which was allegedly, told to Margaret Thatcher by Deng Xiao-ping when she was there. It went like this:

Deng Xiao-ping said to Margaret

Thatcher, knowing

full well the intricacies of

British and western humour: "Knock,

that

I

felt things had changed suffi-

cientþ for me to write and try yet again. So, I thought the best thing to do is to start at the top, and I wrote directly to Deng Xiao-ping and Zhao Ziyang and to the Chinese Ambassador in London, saying now that things have

undergone a sea of change between SinoBritish relations, how is my incarceration viewed, and what would the reaction be to my applying to coming back and if it would be favourable, may Iinterviewyouforpublication?

Six months went by and I heard nothThen I got an answering machine message on my telephone in my office and the

knock"

Margaret Thatcher: "Who's there?".

Deng Xiao-ping: "Mao".

Margaret Thatcher: "Mao, who?".

ing.

Deng Xiao-ping: "Yes, it's

They said they'd come

Chinese Embassy invited me to meet them.

strange

how quickly people forget, isn't it?"

Although I heard that before I went back to Peking this year, I found in some ways it was strangely true. In Shenzhen I went into a bookshop and carefully scrutinised all the shelves but I couldn't find anything by Mao. So I thought, well, I would emba¡rass the shop assistants; and I went up and said, "Do you have anything at all by Mao Tsetung?" They spent about 20minutessea¡ching the shelves, but they couldn't find anything at all!

cOD IN TEARS: On my way here through I also heard a joke which perhaps

Singapore,

says something also about our puzzlement about whether true democracy is on the way in China and the Soviet Union. The story goes something like this: A Russian who was very encouraged by recent developments vr'arited to know exactly when true democracy would arrive in the Soviet Union, he decided to go to the fountainhead of all knowledge, and he went to God and said, "Please could you tell me when democracy will anive in the Soviet Union?"

And God said, "Well, it'll be at least 25 years." So the Russian burst into tears and walked away. A Chinese having heard the story went to the same source and said, "God,

to

my office

if I

wished. How things have changed! I went to the Embassy and they said your letters went to Peking andMr Deng is too old to be interviewed, luf'rZhaoZryang is too busy to be interviewed, but if I would like to talk to lower-level people, they would be happy to arrangeit. Sothis was a kind of watershed

inmy life.

Eventually I applied to go back to make a television film for the BBC. Before I went, the consul at the Chinese Embassy in London

invited myself and my wife to dinner last December andduring dinnerhe apologised formally and fulsomely for what had happened to me. He said it was due to the circumstances of the time and that nothing like that would happen again. He wished me many happy visits to China in the future.

LATE: Although I had that apoldid, nevertheless, retum with some trepidation. I came here to Hong Kong and went in on the train as I had done in 1967 and forthefi¡stfew days I couldn't stop looking overmy shoulder. Itwas a bit like walking on glass, simply because some people had said to me, "Why are you going back?" and 19 YEARS

ogy,

I

some had even said, "Don't go back, you don't know what might occur!" But I was

putateasefinally bybeing told by theFor-

DECEMBER 1988 THE CORRESPONDENT 15

MEETTHEPRESS

MEET THE PRESS eign

Ministry's Information Section in Bei-

jing that a banquet was being given in my honour at the Number One Peking Duck Restaurant. It was hosted by the head of the

Li and at the was presented with a decorated

Information Department, M¡ end of it,

I

plate with a picture of the Great Wall on it, which apparently is habitually given to resident foreign correspondents and inpresenting it, Mr Li apologised for the fact that it was a bit late- 19 years late in fact. He said we give this to all permanent correspondents here now.

At the

banquet, on my left, sat a man

called Ji Minsung who was

the spokesman in

the Information Depafiment at the time when I was there as a foreign correspondent. He

was the man who called me in and put me under house ar:rest. He was the man, who, at the end of my two years and two months, told me that my house arrest was over. It was quite remarkable really to be sitting beside him at a function like a fotmal banquet.

A WORTHWHILE TRIP: I think it was very worthwhile to have gone back. I think it was very good to feel a sense ofreconciliation. I think the Cultural Revolution is still a difficult thing for many people in China to talk about, to reflect on, having done things which at the time seemed very right and necessary, and now they're at an age when they are frowned upon and they

l0 calamitous years.

So it's srill quite difficult to talk to people. I think about what happened, what they did, and what was done to them at the time. The gist of what was said to me was, are described as the

what had happened to me had been something which Chou Enlai, the prime minister, hadn't wanted to happen, Chen Yi, the foreign minister at the time, hadn't wanted it to happen. The people who had to carry out the actual task of putting me underhouse arrest, they hadn'twanted it tohappeneither.

Perhaps there are people in this world who

might have different interpretations, but I suppose there's a certain amount of truth in what they say. And it's perhaps useful to reflect that...a lot of us have to do things sometimes we don't thoroughly want to do in ourjobs or in our lives generally. Referring to the fact that when telling me that I was under house arrest he glared, Mr Ji said to me

that he'd been translating at that point. "You know, an interpreter has to be a good mimic," he said. That's quite a poignant remark, I suppose.

However, in making the film, Return 1o Peking, I was givenevery assistance andl did, in fact, in the end manage to get back to the house where I was held prisoner. A People's Liberation Army General, retired, now lives there with his family.

I'm not entirely sure what the real rea-

1

6 THE CORRESPONDENT DECEMBER

sons were for my wanting

to go back. In the

film, I tried, to discuss these in

the com-

mentary. But I just felt instinctively that it was right and good to goback, andcertainly the experiences that I had there bore that out.

AN ENJOYABLE MEETING: The most pleasant and enjoyable thing fol me during my visit was to meet up with one member of mystaffwhoused to work in the house as cook when I was foreign correspondent there. There were five of them in all. He is now the cook for the Irish Ambassador.

We had a wonderful conversation and he explained how frightened he had been for the [wo years that he wo¡ked for me. He said when he left home in the morning he never knew whether he would go home at night, because he had worked for Reuters for some years, and with the Red Guards in control he never knew when he might be attacked, as indeed the driver had been. The driver had been dragged before a stadium of 15,000 Red Guards and accused of helping the imperialist spy Grey to collect intelligence.

He'd had a terrible time. I heard that he had lost his mind. But I was told by the cook that the driver had since made a recovery and had gone on working, driving and repairing cars. It was good to find that these people had come all right at the end.

country which sticks out everywhere you go; and I've developed a feeling that, yes, the Vietnamese brought a lot of it on themselves - they've embroiled themselves in Kampuchea, they've taken on the Chinese, they expelled a lot of Chinese-Vietnamese a few years ago - it is very definitely time that the policy of Ame¡ica, and Western nations

generally, in applying formal sanctions is changed. Vietnam is desperate for outside help. I know that the question of refugees is a very real one here in Hong Kong. It's my impression that if some aid and assistance were given to try to help Vietnam's catastrophic economy, then that might be a way of stemming and slowing down the refugee flow.

It's a very chastening experience to go through Vietnam today, but at the same time they are a people who are very resilient and

cheerful and courageous and I think they will find a way. I interviewed the foreign

minister, Mr Ngyuen Co Thach and I asked him about the economic management of the country. He said: "We've been like children using fire to bum the roofs of our houses, instead ofusing it for cooking, we're desperately trying to learn how to use it for cooking now."

I think that analogy really says quite a lot.

QUESTION: Your personal experiences

QUESTIONS: Can you say something about your ímpressions of contemporary Vietnam?

aside, what'was your oren'iding impression of Peking in l9BB,20 years on?

GREY: Yes, indeed. I spent nearly

GREY: Visually, it was extremely different.

Theappearance ofthe people in thestreets was immediately and dramatically diffelent.

The emergence of the Chinese female from behind the dungarees and the blue caps.

High-heeled boots seem to be the fashion everywhere. I was astonished to find that English was such a national obsession. In the parks people struck up spontaneous conversations with me in English. It does

seven

weeks in Vietnam this year. Overall, iÎ's a very sobering experience to go to Vietnam today. It's a country which is in a very con-

siderable amount of trouble. Everybody knows that from what is written about it.

Going through the country, I think, certainly having written an epic, historical novel about it from the outside and done an enorrnous amount of research in alchives, in the French Ministry of Colonies, in Washington and London, it was fascinating for me to see that come to life.

But

I

found

it very difficult not to be

moved by the plight of the people. I rhink knowing that they have been exploited and oppressed by the French, and then suffered somewhat under the Americans, to say nothing of the British briefly in 1945, it was very galling to find that under a 'free'- let's say under an indigenous - Vietnamese leadership, their conditions of life are still among the poorest I've ever seen, and certainly well down the scale on a world level. Inflation is rampant, the standard ol living is very poor. the hotels are an adventure caught in themselves. There's almost no water, there's

almost no electricity most of the time in many of them.

Overall, it's the economic malaise of the

1988

make China a much more relaxed and friendly place for foreigners generally. My impression was that China is on the make.

Since I've been there, I was there in May, I got the impression that these were very exciting but very dangerous times for the Chinese. Of course, we've seen in the past few weeks that the brakes have been slammed on price reforms and controls are being imposed again from the centre. I think China's

in the balance, in a way, with economic re-

forms. But I found that people do seem to have started to think for themselves. I spoke to a lot of young Chinese atEnglish Corner in the Purple Bamboo Park in Peking and asked them such things as, "Do you think that the Cultural Revolution would happen again?" They all shouted "No!" in a great chorus. I asked, "Why?" and they said, "Well, we think for ourselves now.

I

The man they could not ground HREE-TIME winner of the world motor-racing championship, Niki Lauda was guest of honour at a Club Luncheon on November 25.

Lauda, a man of indomitable spirit and courage - he almost losthis life in arace crash - is one of the motor-racing world's great characters.

Fighting the resistance of his patrician family to his motor-racing ambitions, Lauda dominated world championship racing for over a decade, finally retiring in 1985. He then directed his energies to setting up his own commercial airline - LaudaAir - fighting the Austrian aviation establishment with all the guts he showed when he was speeding around the world's racing circuits. Here are excerpts from Niki Lauda's address to the Club in which he recalls his exploits and the obstacles he had to overcome both to drive and

fly.

ON BECOMING A RÄCING DRIVER: It wasn'teasy. I grew up inAustria, thesonof a noble family. My parents wanted me to go to university, and do the decent things that children of the upper class are supposed to do. I had decided that what I really wanted was to

called up my grandfather and said, "Please would you mindyour own business, because I have worked very hard to get this sponsorship." My grandfather said absolutely not. That was the end of the relationship betweenme and my grandfather.

I had to run around for four weeks to raise the money as I had signed a contract and was committed. I had to change my strategy. I went to another bank and asked to be given credit and suggested that the bank insure my life. So if anythinghappened to methebank would get its money back. It worked. The bank lent me the money, and I started driving in Formula One in March 1972. It took me fouryears topay the bank back. WhenI drove for Ferrari in 197 4,1 w as still working off the debt.

I

won my first Formula One championin 1977 in a Ferrari, but the years in between were full of frustrations, including

Chancellor Kriesky favoured my being givenalicence to flyFokkers, but the Gen-

of Austrian Airlines was opposed, arguing that the Fokkers were not pressurised to fly theAustrian Alps. Itoldhimthe eral Director

Fokkers were indeed pressurised, but to no avail. Despite Chancellor Kriesky's efforts, months went by and I was still without a licence. Itdemonstrated how strong were the vested interests in the Austrian bureaucracy against which even the chancellorwas powerless. Two years later, LaudaAir was still not offthe ground in Austria. It was taking so long to get a licence for my airline, that I decided to retum to motor racing. Fed up, I took my family and went abroad, living away from Austria for the next five years, By now I knew how the system in my country worked. I knew I had to come back

ship

with a different strategy to beat the system.

I finally did, making a deal with a gentle-

missing the championship title by half apoint

ma¡r of Greek origin who ran the biggest havel

inl9'76.

agency in Austria, and was one of the major clients of Austrian Airlines. But two more years were to pass, before I was finally able to get LaudaAir off the ground.

ON FLYING AND THE AVIATION BUSINESS: By 1919,I had started taking flying lessons, because I was fed up driving

around in circles. I retired from racing and made up my mind to start Lauda

Air. At this time, AustrianAirlines, the national ca¡rier covered only Europe using DC 9s. It struck me that it would be logi-

cal to

flyFokkers-

a 44-seat plane

and

work my - way through the domestic routes inAustria.

become a racing driver. So I left home and went toSalzburg, and started outinFormula Three and Formula Tworacing.

Formula One racing was a different thing.

One has to find a sponsor the folk who pay for the cars one crashes-while learning the intracicies ofracing circuits and such things.

I had been working with anAustrian bank in Formula Three and Two races, and convinced them in eaily l972to sponsor my first Formula One car. With the approval of the general director of the bank I went off to England in February 1972 and signed a contract to launch my Formula One career.

When I retumed to Austria in March, the bank director told me, "I am sorry Niki, but we cannot sponsor you. We needed approval from the bank's board, but the proposal was tumed down. You see, your grandfather is a member of our board, and he said no way are we going to pay formy grandsonNikito drive

For six months I tried to launch Lauda Air, but I could not get a licence. I could not understand it. AustrianAirlines was not

in FormulaOne."

Airlines.

flying

domestic

routes, so why was my application being knockedback? Frustrated, I appealed to our then chancellor,

Dr BrunoKriesky. A meeting was set up to hear my complaint.

Present were chan-

cellor Kriesky,

the

finance minister, the

transport minister, and the

general di-

rector

Austrian

of

DECEMBER 1988 THE CORRESPONDENT 17

CLUB

NE,WS

November binge on Beaujolais Nouveau It

was that time of the year when cup doth overflow with Beaujolais Nouveau.

At the Club's Main Dining Room and Verandah, it was a week of steady imbibing of the new stuff.

On the 17th it was breakfast, country style, with vino. On the 25th, with the Melody Trio of the Hong Kong Philharmonic in attendance, it was a gala evening.

Jean-Pierre Vullin, the Chef and owner of the renownedAuberge Bressane in Bourg-En-Bresse, was the inspiration for the Club's Beaujolais Nouveau week, fast becoming a major event on the the

calendar.

Photos: Hugh van Es

18 THE CORRESPONDENT DECEMBER

1988

DEcEMBER 1988 THE CORRESPONDENT 19

CLASSIFIEDS RESTAURANTS

THE 7OO

PEOPLE NIGEL Armstrong, who quit as editor of the Hong

more people saw more films in Hong Kong than any other city in

Kong Tatlerbecause of interference in editorial matters

the world.

from

beenback inhis native Vancouver working in newspapers, maga-

Since that time, Moore

advertising boss Lina

Ross, has teamed up with an-

other FCC member, Brian

l-3 Wyndham Street, Central, HongKong Tel:5-265293 1Æ

Kowloon Centre, 29Ashley Road,

Tsimshatsui, Kowloon

Tel:3-684027

tion calledWordpool.

MABUHAY SINGING LOUNGE

problems which have beset the

communications industry in

DA

ILY BUSINESS HOURS

9.00 a.m. - I 1.30 p,m.

ÂFTER ENJOYING YOUR MEAL COME AND VISIT OUR SING-A-LONC LOUNGE. OPEN 6.00 p.n. TO 2.00 a.m.

(Mãjo¡Cred¡t Cards Accepted) I

I Minden

Avenu€, G/F,Tsimshâtsu¡, Kowloon.

Let Vegetation Feed The Nation Go Vegetarian

G/F, No 8 Minden Avenue,

off Mody Road,

Kowloon

Tel No: 3-693718

12 p.m. 1o 3.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. to l1 p.m. daily

Neil, also British-born, came to Hong Kong in 1978 afterspending 22yearsinNew Zealand and Aust¡alia in a variety of jobs ranging from design, layout, public relations, advertising and promotions. In Hong Kong, he started as the English editor with the University of East Asia and then began providing consultancy services to advertising, publishing and public relations firms.

Wordpool, in essence, is a freelance "register" where writers, editors, photographers, designers, etc., can place their names, specialities and availability for work.

Says Neil: "We've both noticed that there

from the Club office:

front.

medium Extra-Large

small or

$25.00 each $33.00 each

UMBRELLA 27" long; wooden handle; '100o/o

nylon; Navy-Blue and White with Club logo on white

background

$35.00 each

TIE Colour: Burgundy with golden yellow stripes and Club logo $37.00 each POST

CARD

$ 1.00 each

20 THE CORRESPONDENT DECEMBER

Armstrong, there aÍe

emphasis is on the support service rather than a central database of articles and features which we would sell on behalf of journalists.

But this "could come in time," he adds.

says

Moore, just how much of a freelancer's income goes to taxes in Canada. That made him decide to head back this way. Moore says that he is back in Hong Kong "for the duration", and looking for suitable assignments to keep his type-

q v t¡¡

v

{

write¡ camera and on-air-voice I

busy.

The first two jobs he landed involved a voice-over for a TV commercial and a commission to

re-write the copy on

the

Kjeldsen's Danish butter cookie box, which he describes as "an essentially Hong Kong sort of thing to do" WHEN Cable & Wireless (HK) Ltd advertised for an English writer, they were looking not for an Emily Bronte or Jane Austen but for Bonnie Engel, who signedonasthe group's English -language public relations officer.

Aftertwo years in Hong Kong's joumalism communit¡ first as afreelance writer and editor and later as assistant editor at OffDuty,she says, "it was time to move on to something

new".

Engel came to Hong Kong in 1986 from San Francisco, where for 15 years she had her own video production and consulting company called Public Eye. Her knowledge of

video andcable television, according to her, was a factor in landing the job at C&W but

probably will not be put to use now. While Hong KongTelecommunications, ofwhich C&W is apart, has withdrawn from the racefor Hong Kong's cable network, Engel maintains a personal interest in the matter, having watched San Francisco's selected provider, Viacom, fail to complete laying the cable 24 y ears after receiving its licence.

With a masters degree in east Asian languages, Engel came East looking forwork in China, but stopped in Hong Kong and stayed on. The highpoint of hercareercame in 1987 when, for five weeks from February 28 to the a end of March, she flew 19,000 miles

in

single-engine plane as video joumalist in a race between Paris and Beijing. Organised by the French Bernard Lamy, the race consisted of l7 teams, each including a pilot, copilot and a videojournalist. Engelflew with the Hong Kong team, led by Cathay Pacific pilot, David Beechcraft-Kaye.

Sponsored by Martel Far East, the Hong Kong team flew over the Middle East to Bei jing, then back to Europe. There were two frightening moments during the journey one when three planes tried to land -in Guangzhou and

the air traffic

controllers,

frustrated with trying to understand Italian, Swiss and Germanversions of English,just giving landing instruc-

gave up and stopped

want. the other hand, freelancers are usu-

Through Wordpool, Armstrong and Neil offer to take out all the hassle for both sides and handle all the details between the time the

white cotton/po,fyester, Club logo on

to

Public relations companies, advertising agencies, supplements editors and publishers, often complain that they can't find the right people orthey're not getting the qualitythey

they don't have the contacts."

T SHIRT

wants to use our services to put through work not assigned by us, we willnaturally have to cover our costs," he explains,

is a large market for this kind of operation.

"On

The following items can be purchased

the end, says Armstrong, "everybody should benefit. Freelancers will have all the annoying, time-wasting running around taken offtheir hands and be able to do work which they would otherwise not get through lack of time or contacts. Clients will have access to a larger pool oftalent than they have had up to now and will ideally not have to do more than pick up a phone, give a few details, sit back and let us do the rest."

Of course, there is a price for all this.

"We're beginning by simply adding a modest percentage to each assignment," says Neil.

The journalists, he says, will get an agreed rate and it costs nothing to place their names ontheregister. "If ajoumalist onour register

simila¡ities with photographic and features agencies but he points out thatWordpool's

ally too busy running around to give ajob their full attention or take on more work, or

FOR SALE

Neil

In

According

HONG KONG MR CL AUS ?

A ÞARREN ROCK WITH NARY A CHI^^NEY UPON IT \

critic and talkshow host.

Then, he realised,

Armstrong Armstrong

OF

and television as an editor, columnist, commentator,

Neil andArmstrong, is to provide "the solution to several

Hong Kong for too long".

Armstrong who moved to Hong Kong from Britain seven years ago was deputy editor of a stable ofthree magazines, including the award-winning Heritage of the HyattHotels and later managingeditorof The Executive before becoming editor of Hong

fHINK

zines, radio

Their aim, according to

KongTatler.

THE ONLY NATIVE FILIPINO AND SPANISH RESTAURANT IN TOWN.

4r

Neil, to form a new organisa-

WHAT ÞO YOU

has

BY ARTHUR HACKER

work is commissioned to the final delivery.

Says Armstrong: "For the client, we will ensure the work is carried out thoroughly, if necessary, rewritten copy is edited - to a client's house style-if checked, conforns he has one (and if he hasn't, we'll help him develop one), proofread and either clean manuscript or diskette is delivered by deadline. For the freelancer, we will find assignments (at or above the individual's agreed minimum rate), provide raw material, offer a messenger and telephone-answering service as well as a mailing address, and generally coordinate the whole job, includinginvoicing and payment chasing."

1988

YES, that old-and-getting-olderfamiliar face at the FCC bar these past few Ìveeks belongs to Jack Moore, (below) who describes himself as Storyteller. If you've been around long enough yourself, you're likely to remember him from the old, in fact deceased, Sunday Post-Herald over 15 years ago, where he was in charge of reviewing all new films

ìo

.

Brslc Cotnpllcr for IBM 55S0 lln Japanesel

that came to town. Those were the days when

sJåÌ?

IllI

s383

DICIMBIR$PICIALS!

oJ (owlm

Iel

3

ómoól

llyCenke, H@ Kons Tet 5 2708ø

No 137 l/t Pêdnsub CenL€ ls¡hsMtsù tod. Kôwl6n lêl 3 ó49ß, 2/f,wre OnOepodmêôt gore 2ì ì Oesvoêu¡ Rod Sheu@wo H@(ono

rer 5,¡¡7795

DECEMBER 1988 THE CORRESPONDENT 21

NEV/ MEMBERS ÁCEÆPORIER

DO6I"]EAI

JT

YDÙ HAVEN'T KEEN

SLUlvl rlrurs Á ilÉrlKER

GOTHT

OF THE IJKJUDICIARY.

YÒGHOPT CARTON U0!

WEARINE

AtÞ,lN,

HP\VE

nñTEp.,

JUX'E

Yo)

CHATIN OR HI'IPY

PAY.DNV AN¡ I FTtf A Cff OF A FL{NTEQ, POT fr AI¿ Dû^/ /OilJ

VAUÍ|

?

qLEETIN' ØT

1.

Barbara Beyer the managing director of Avmark Asia Ltd and publisher of I/re AvmarkAviation Economist, worked in England

I l1l tAv})RtfE N0t18E(ANû t¡SÍ Ît{Ë S0

INSIEAò DF NE},r,ß r^/ilAf 'J lHÉ

UA(

LIrc

and

/

the USA with Avmark be-

fore coming to Hong Kong. She

won

?

RfANN( A

the

Aviation Space Writers'

award in 1978 and is the author a book on airline productivity.

Mark

of

Graham is a freelance

Beyer

Graham

Melchior

Thompson

Hoe

Brown

Rylander

Crowell

writer and sub-editor with Hong Kong News and Features. He worked with the South China Morning Post for three years, before which he was a correspondent for Reuters and the Daily Telegraph in Bermuda.

tions. The pilots had to communicate with each

other and guide themselves in.

Even more frightening than racing through the skies was racing around Rome in a taxi, with an eccentric driver and his wife and kid, says Engel.

Otherwise, "it was a fabulous trip," not at all marred by the fact thatthe Hong Kong team came in 17th. Because the race was based on handicaps, it was the oldest and slowest plane a 1964 Wassme that took first place, though the Hong Kong team won a trophy for being the safest and most professional team.

"The highlight of the trip", adds Engel,

-

tfl,

-

"was the welcome home reception held at (where else?) the FCC."

ALSO making news

at Cable & Wireless is Agnes Lee, who has recently been promoted to intemational relations manager.

Hong Kong-bom Lee started working for C&Vy''s engineering department as a secretary more than 10 years ago. Shejoined her present department in 19'19 and,withthe aid of translation courses from the Chinese Uni-

versity of Hong

Kong

Todd Crowell is astaff writerfor Asiaweek. Belore coming to Hong Kong last year he had a career in newspapers in the US

andwas for seven years editor/ publisher of the Pacific Rim Intelligence Report.

Hakan Rylander is Asia correspondent for the Swedish business magazine, Veckans

for

Affarer,

which he was a reporter in

Stockholm before coming to

coupled

with her diploma

Gopalan

Hong Kong earlier this year.

from Hong Kong

Artificial trees and plants w¡th genu¡ne trunks and silk polyster leaves.

We design to suit your office and home.

,rTREETOpSr,

Contact Nora 5-257803 for an appointment.

Discount prices on all stock!

Polytechnic,

Phillip Melchior, media,

news and database marketing manager

worked her way up to her present posltlon where, she says, fluency in Man-

darin,

for Reuters Asia, has worked for Reuters in the Philippines and

New Zealand. Previously

grammes for Television New Zealand and the New Zealand

Japanese

and English, as well as her native

CAR HIRE RATES. . . OFF SEASON RATES. . . OFF SEASON RATES

tongue, Canton-

;;;:;;.,,*;;;i

Press

Lee

Promoting C&W's image intemationally involves liaising with overseas telecommunications administrations in the Asia-Pacific

regions, hosting visitors, and setting up A wide choice of lolc¡t models A wide choice ls olwoys ovoiloble from Conlinenlol Cor Rentol's London fleet of more thon 800 lowmileoge cors, eslotes ond mini buses

tou¡wllKs ¡on ilE PntcE 0¡ two-

wllH uiluÍrilt¡D tiltEAoE. I WEEKx 2 = 4WEEKS.

FOREXAMPTE,

lJnbeoloble vqluo Conl¡nenlol cul no corners when i1 comes lo setoice Bul ourvery competilive unlimijed mileoge rotes - holf prìce lor four weeks or more - ensure lhol our cors spend less iime idle lusl like reduced oir fores fill plone seols

vwcotFt3

r05 ît3t

óL

TI54

FORD SIERRA

I

FORD SIERRA

ESTATE

GM CARLION

ÊI

ó9

AUTO 1249

PEUGEOT 505 ESI AUTO

BMW3tS|/GOLFGTi

î271 î276 1363

€2

î262

Pick up your cor

Ê308 S338

Golw¡ck

î498

î542 8552 ç726

No hiddcn extro¡

MERCEDES

renlol componies we odver lise our roies exclusive of I 50ó VAT

'p 6 I 5% V.A.T. ft údes bo5.naronce ond'ood3ide o$Éron.e fù'ly côhpreheneve ruonce o"olobe

Like mosì

I9OEAUTO

ond ol fully comprehensive insuronce, which is opt¡onol But, unlike some, there ore no odditionol, hidden exhos of ony lind. No helty chorge when you collecl or leove your cor ot the oirpod,

ot Heoth¡ow or

It's oll included in lhe service Coniinentol olso hove bronches in London, Monchester, Dover, Brussels, Fronkfud ond Luxembouro ond o totol of more lhon 3,000 vehicle;.

WHY NOI CAII, IEIEX OR SEND FOR OUR BROCHURE NOW.

cllmr[¡¡¡vlÍo¡ SIONE CtOSE, HORION ROAD

!DDtrSEXUBT 4A

CAR G (¡xütr0imt otfft PBONT l0r ) 9ó83388

22 TøBCORRESPONDENT DECEMBER

1988

seminars and conferences with staff from telecom authorities in India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and other developing countries. "I also play a major part in building our relations and image in China," says Lee, who organi sed a seminar in Beijing in September which discussed various telecommunications technologies and services such as video-conferencing, earth stations and networkmanagement. Such a project takes at least six months to prepare, she says.

When Lee is not talking long-distance,

ta¡vtç 8]U

is playing music; her interests vary from singing in the church choir to playing pop music on an electric organ. she

he

worked on current affairs pro-

Association in London.

Dear

Friedland Delwarte Fried ld Susanna Hoe is a columnist for zines includingrhe Far Eastern the Liverpool Daily Post and Economic Review, Asia Maga-

Stephen Thompson is editor of RacingWorld.He spent six years working for MPH Magazines in

Echo. Amember of Amnesty International, the Hong Kong

Singapore and between 1984 and 1987 won 12 awards in British

Asiatic Society, she is also a suc-

Association of Industrial Editors and Pacific Area Travel Association competitions.

Fidelia Chau isacorrespondent fo¡ Reuters Hong Kong, before

which

she had worked as a reporter on Ta Kung Pao and Hong

Kong Economic Journal.

Peter Bohan, an editor/reporter for Reuters Southeast Asia Ltd, previously worked in the same capacity for the company in Chicago and as a freelancer there.

Council of Women and the Royal cessful novelist.

zine and

Asiaweek. And he has spent a number of years in Singapore and Manila.

and worked for the BBC and Visnews before joining TV-AM in London and moving to Hong Kong in July this year.

Economic Review. Before coming to Hong Kong, in July 1988, he was a staff writer with the,/nstitutional Investor in New York and Inter Press Services in Washington DC.

Paul Speelman, chief sub-editor of ¡he

,A.drian Brown is Far East correspondent forTV-AM in London.

He started in radio in Newcastle

ì Houplin

is

So

ut h C

hina M or nin g

Po

s

t,

Indonesian-bom Australian.

Previously he has worked with The Age in Melbourne as well as The Australian and Sun-Herald in Sydney. an

Alain Delwarte is Hong Kong conespondent of Vigil Information Ltd of London. Befo¡e that he worked for Unicon News in Hong Kong. He was bom in Belglum.

Justin Dear is a senior reporter

M.P. Gopalan, editorof Commu-

with the Hongkong Standard.

Before that he worked as a

nication Management Ltd's

freelance reporter in London.

Hong Kong Business, has had a career stretching back to 1961 with local and regional maga-

Jonathan Friedland is a specialist writer with the Far Eastern

Joel Houplin is a sub-editor with the South China Morning Post where he has been since 1981.

Previously he workedforThe Sun in Hong Kong. He was bom in Washington, USA.

DECEMBER 1988 THE CORRESPONDENT 23

LEI S URE, JOE DRBSSLER

Over Xin Hui in a paraplane HEN my friend Hong Kong philanthropist and rice tycoon Peter King Luen Chan called me in Vienna, Virginia, two months ago, I only weighed 170 pounds (remember that). He asked me to evaluate an intriguing recreational flying vehicle - the paraplane - which he saw in action on Hong Kong television. I had recently retired from a 3O-year career as a US naval aviator and the paraplane venture appealed to me. After seve¡al discussions with Steve Snyde¡ the power-parachute inventor, I visited the company in New Jersey. One hou¡ after basic instruction, I soloed. After I landed the flying go-cart, my l9-year old daughter, Janet, soloed!

This fascinating 190-pound airplane is powered by two precision German 2l0cc engines with props which counter-rotate to neutralise torque. Maximum speed is 26mph and lift off is accomplished when the nylon compartmented "wing", inflated solid with ram air, gently lifts the cart into the air after about 150 feet of ground roll. Tums are made with foot levers and vertical movement is controlledwith a simple throttle lever below the canvas seat on the left side.

I imparted my enthusiasm via telephone to

Irish coffees and snooker at the FCC, the

Mr Chan in Hong Kong who wanted to fly the paraplane at the inauguration of the magnificent secondary school complex which he built in Xin Hui, his ancestral home, some three

long-awaited paraplane flight in Xin Hui was arranged, but not without concomitant, inevitable bureaucratic hassle. The sports field

hours by car north of Macau. A purchase was arranged and I received additional technical training on assembly and maintenance of the innovative machine which, when folded, can easily be placed in the trunk of your Rolls.

Getting the aircraft f¡om New Jersey to Xin Hui required a 747 jumbo jet (to Hong Kong) and a four-hour ferry ride to Jiang Men near

100 Xin Hui residents including press men with cameras, festively watched us as we

sponseto the approaching"extricators" who, as I expected, were surprised by my unique

checked over the paraplane and carefully arranged the 40O-square-foot rectangular canopy/wing behind the tri-wheeled power cart.

I strapped into the canvas seat as one of

landing.

Xin Hui. RUBY INTERFERES: Unfortunately, the aftermath of typhoon Ruby with rain, wind and mud, precluded paraplane

flight during

the

inauguration of the Peter King Luen Chan secondary school. Nevertheless,' the school opening was impressive by any measure and was witnessed by nearly 1,000 invited guests from Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau, Canda and the US. Meanwhile, I had to wait for a dry spell.

After 10 days with good Hong Kong food,

24 Tøn CORRESPONDENT DECEMBER

was dry;

my

a gentle breeze was

blowing; about

"flight technicians" pulled the recoil

rope starters. Smoothly I increased power as thecartaccelerateddown the field. Thecanopy inflated and rose overhead to form the wing, Bounce, bounce, bounce down the field Iwent. Amlatfullpower? Yes! Ah yes, we are quite a few metres above sea ler.el, thus a bit longer take-off roll.

UB UP AND DOWN!:

Finally, airbome! (where in hell's thelift?). Ofcourse! Thefuel in China is not optimum, thus, some reduced

power.

OK! I thinkl'11 change my plans anddemonsffate to these 100 spectators an unusual

1988

tree landing. Certainly they'11 find that more exciting than a smooth field landing! Power "Hello branches!" That was an abrupt stop!

off!

"Of

course

I'm OK!", I

shouted in re-

In a

display of extraordinary dexterity, of the young Chinese spectators had the paraplane untangled and quickly repositioned on the field for another take off.

But they all got tired of waiting and went

five or six

home.

Two days later, back in Hong Kong, after an early morning exercise session atthe FCC, I stepped on the scale and realised another reason for my tree "landing". My unclothed weight was up 12 pounds and probably ex-

ceeded recommended paraplane pilot weight.

"Ní Zai Lai?" (will you fly again?), asked several times in Xin Hui.

I was

"Of course" I responded. But only after many daily sessions in the FCC gym.

Photos: JoeDresslerinhisparaplane,readyfortake

ofl (topleft). Búagreatdeal

of preparations had to be completed to reach take-off stage - like the paraplane had tobe transportedto thesportsfield,thewingsfixedandthefuel tank filled. Above: Miss Ling cheers Dressler after the tree landing.

DECEMBER 1988 THE CORRESPONDENT 25

I_

THE CORRDSPONIIENT

CROSSV/ORD Compiled by Brian Neil @

'1988

A BOTTLE OF CHIVAS REGAL

NO.10

I rtlr IIII Irl5llrl

25. These people go into Persia to drink (6)

CLUESACROSS:

l. Details of asubfamily of plants are contained in a UNESCO hoficultural report (6)

4.

at

nrrrlt Slrlt

gEI SSINITI II I IT EIIIIIII NII rrtr I

Tin female in part of

NorthAmerica (6)

7. Some star-struck people could be seafarers (4) 8. Tease, tantalise, lost di-

rection-

and is now, so the

story goes, underwater (8) 9. Braille, for those who can figure it out, is free (7) 12. There does appear to be some colour in there somewhere (3) 14. According to reports,

which are current, Edinburgh Towr:r

is only

pafly

leased (6) 15. A racing car, at supersonic speed, carries very little weight (6) 16. A German organ supplies conjunction (3) 18. A slight ôrash at termi-

nus can have splintering RULES

1.

Entries must be sent to:

THE CORRESPONDENT CROSSWORD,

Printline Ltd, House, T lce House Street, Central, Hong Kong.

601 Fu

2. Entries must reach

3.

effect (7) 22.Tear woolbadly and the result can be disastrous (8) 23. Took no bets for a tumer (4) 24. The last ray of sunshine was almost lost (6)

WEALTHY, JET-SET DECISION MAKERS The findings of a recent survey among FCC members in Hong Kong said it all.

DOWN:

1. Shortened ladder and, between them, beat a hasty

Consider these facts:

retreat (3,3,3,) 2. Tough vessel for one who will not compromise (e) 3. Seat has a point designed to vex (5) 4. In the council,Ian Smith found some flutterers (5) 5. There were ten on either side, but there weren't any on the inside (4) 6. Get the urge to dive into a flooded river (5) 10. It could be ersatz coffee with more palatable beverages (5)

Er-.¡.* 1 ..

I Clt-rL l

14o/"more than 20 times. Over 50% travel business class and 1 0% f irst class.

nights a En¡.* D. 75k wine and dine 5-20 I d,l.-rL L. month in hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong.

Er^r¡.* â.

I d,U [ \) .

computers, computer software, wordprocessors, etc.

F aCl 4:

17. He has a pawnshop, chill,

r^, r.* Ã . ¡ C[t/t r,l .

you could find yourself

E

walking up and down this type of country (5) 20. To rut or to fish (5)

(4)

These men and women const¡tute the ideal target aud¡ence for suppliers of a

-**r'

To reach them, advertise in

PRINTLINE LTD

THD GORRI ONIIEIUT

Publishers of

601 Fu House, 7 Ice House Street,

5-237848, Fax: 5-8453556

601 Fu House, 7 lce House Street, Central , Hong Kong Fax:5-8453556 Telephone: 5-237121

THE GORRESPOITDDIUT The winner is Harry Garlick

26 TIJE CORRESPONDENT DECEMBER

year

var¡ety of products and serv¡ces.

For editorial and publishing services, contact:

Phone:

a

'Source: Suruey conductecl by the adveilising research depailmenl ol Asiaweek Limited and Chr¡s M¡nler, managing d¡rcclot ol Execuilve Surueys Lld.

Crossword No. 9 correct solution

following month.

Central, Hong Kong.

64/o earn more than $500,000

with 23k of them earning in excess

of $1 million.

4. The first correct solution drawn from the entries received will be awarded a bottle of Chivas Regal.

5. The solution andwinner'snamewillbe published in The C orre spondent the

G4%own cars and 257oown boats.

21. Look -at his lordship!

the office not later than December 28.

Entries must carry the name, address and the club membership number of the contestant.

52-64'/" make rental, purchase or

usage decisions for a variety of office automation equipment -- electronic typewriters, telephones, PBX systems, telex, fax, photocopiers,

12. ln anger, rear up and sort it out again (9) 13. Tells ofthe French authors (9) also has stones (5) 19. When you catch a

48"/" of FCC members travel out of Hong Kong 6 - 20 times a year and

I

988