Apparent public dressing-down bound to undermine Tung's authority

It is very difficult to be an apologist for Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa these days.

Judging from headlines in local and international newspapers yesterday, it seems everyone agrees that President Hu Jintao gave him a dressing-down in Macau on Monday in urging him to improve governance by identifying the inadequacies of his rule.

The conclusion was reinforced by a short, officially released video clip in which President Hu was seen standing before a sullen Mr Tung and his key ministers, expressing his 'three hopes' for the chief executive and his administration.

Mr Hu and other central government officials must have grimaced at those headlines. However, they should take part of the blame for making Mr Tung look weak and incompetent in the eyes of the media.

The couched speeches by state leaders - which can easily be interpreted in a number of ways - certainly leave room for improvement. This is particularly so as far as Hong Kong is concerned.

Many media reports concluded that Mr Hu's three hopes were an unprecedented reprimand for Mr Tung, in the wake of the controversies surrounding the West Kowloon cultural development, Hunghom Peninsula estate and the collapse of the Link Reit listing.

But similar sentiments were expressed in a speech given by Mr Hu on Monday in which he expressed four hopes for Macau Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah and his administration.