More a businessman than a politician, Mr. Kuok nevertheless has shrewd political instincts and knows how to make his business flourish through the marriage of political alliances and entrepreneurial skill. A demonstration of his skill and influence was on view in the private party he hosted to mark the handover of power. This proved to be the party of parties, attracting, amidst tough competition, the cream of Hong Kong's new elite and their Mainland Chinese sponsors.
Buying the SCMP was widely seen at the time as an act performed by Kuok either on behalf of, or with the blessing of, the Chinese government, which did not want Hong Kong's leading English-language paper, and most internationally accessible publication, to fall into the hands of elements it considered to be hostile. According to Vines' assessment. This public perception was confirmed privately during a meeting in Beijing, shortly after the purchase, between a very senior Chinese official and two local businessmen, who were told that China was pleased to have "got the Post in the bag."
Vines said, "It therefore seemed likely that the Post would increasingly become a more China-oriented publication. Commercial logic suggested that this would leave a gap in the market for a more independent newspaper which would neither bore nor depress readers by following the party line. As things turned out the launch of Eastern Express-loudly proclaiming its independence "pushed the SCMP into taking a less than enthusiastic pro-China position."
"Following the launch of our paper, the staid SCMP showed signs of life and vigor which it had rarely shown before. Nevertheless, there is little reason to suppose that China is disappointed to have the SCMP in Kuok's hands. Occasionally the paper makes forays into controversial territory and occasionally it starts to look like a pro-China rag but on the whole it has been neutral, which is good enough for China's purpose," Vines said in his book.
The SCMP's editor is Jonathan Fenby, a former editor of the Observer newspaper in London, and a distinguished journalist of considerable experience.
"I know from personal experience that he is extremely sensitive about any suggestion that his paper was toeing the Chinese line because journalists making suggestions of this kind would be subjected to agitated phone calls and long written rebuttals which he insisted be published, usually at far greater length than the original article. Anyone feeling more secure in his position would not have been this defensive. However, Hong Kong was living through difficult times and, understandably, those on the media front line were liable to get tetchy."
