A Canadian friend in good and bad times
HAILED as a hero for his unflinching support of human rights and continued economic prosperity in Hong Kong, the Commissioner for Canada in the territory for five years, John Higginbotham, is leaving.
News of his departure next month for a posting in Washington has been greeted with sadness by Hong Kong high society. Its members have been queueing up to pay tribute to a man recognised as the main driving force behind the enormous expansion of cultural, economic and educational ties between Canada and the territory.
''He's brought Hong Kong a lot of face,'' says legislator and banking executive, Vincent Cheng Hoi-chuen, who held a farewell dinner for what he regarded as his close friend last week. ''Hong Kong couldn't have had a kinder, more helpful, and better commissioner. We will always be grateful to him.'' Colleagues and friends of the commissioner say his chief accomplishment has been an ability to understand issues of critical importance to Hong Kong, and communicate them not only to Canada, but to nations around the globe.
''He helped bring Hong Kong on to the world stage, and kept our concerns there,'' one government official said. ''He has always worked for Canada, of course, but he has been throughout, a good friend of Hong Kong.'' Others praise his thoughtful, low-key approach to even the most complex topics. ''He seems a decent man who always says the right things,'' one Canadian resident said. ''He's never in the newspapers, but he gets the job done.'' Mr Higginbotham has eschewed publicity and hardline tactics since assuming his post in September 1989, but at the same time he has never avoided the difficult diplomatic tasks. A calm, measured approach has always been his hallmark.
A fitness enthusiast, who lists hiking and marathon running as among his greatest passions, Mr Higginbotham neither smokes nor drinks. Soon after taking up the Hong Kong post, he surveyed the local social scene and commented: ''Drink is the professional hazard of the diplomat; I prefer hard exercise.'' He admits his idea of an exciting evening is one spent at home with his wife Michele and sons, Matthew, 18, and Ian, 16. Add a video and a pizza, and you have a perfect night for the commissioner - but there haven't been many.
Instead, his life has been a whirlwind of activity, with economic summits, speeches and some of the most high-profile political visits seen in the territory. One high-profile visitor was the Canadian prime minister, Brian Mulroney, who attended Festival Canada '91 in Hong Kong. Governors and ministers have followed since, and Foreign Minister Andre Ouellet is due in Hong Kong on August 1.