这单交易,当日《信报》形容为「长江实业股东的福气」44,对交易三方都有利,不过在英国人角度,就不是这样看,例如当天港英政府及英资高层经常用来放风的《南华早报》,在79年9月28日的财经版,有一份署名「JW」的评论文章,作者很可能是南华早报的记者「Jim Walker」【《南华早报》的财经记者,他在1986年和另一位财经记者Gary Coull创办了里昂证券有限公司,及后法国里昂信贷银行入股,辗转更名为CLSA Group(里昂),2012年被中信证券收购】,他非常不客气地批评汇丰,提到汇丰时,两度用到「well, the bank is the bank」,讽刺汇丰霸道,出卖英国自己人的利益,将几年前还在穿着短裤穿胶花的李嘉诚捧上神位,可见英国人(和黄高层)对汇丰便宜华资诚伯的决定,有多咽不下这口气:
「Cheung Kong has scored the bloodless coup to match all coups. And if one is to use some of the suggestions of Mr Bill Wylie, it has done so at the expense not just of HWL but also the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. Consider the saga for a moment. Mr Li Ka-shing, not many years ago a modest plastics maker, with ambition. The Hongkong Bank… well the bank is the bank and was when Mr Li was in shorts.」45