New snub for Patten in 'war' with China<\/p>\n
By Peter Lim<\/p>\n
HONG KONG (AFP): Hong Kong governor Chris Patten put on a
\nbrave face yesterday over the latest Chinese snub in a campaign
\nto freeze him out of deciding the territory's future.<\/p>\n
A decision on Thursday not to invite him to the launch of the
\nBank of China's first bank notes for Hong Kong next week, was the
\nlatest rebuke for Patten.<\/p>\n
That came barely a day after Lu Ping, China's main official
\nfor Hong Kong affairs, rejected a request for a meeting with the
\ngovernor during a one week visit due to start Sunday. Lu's visit
\nis his first to the territory since Patten became governor.<\/p>\n
Patten will not even attend a luncheon for Lu hosted by five
\nleading business groups -- including the Hong Kong and American
\nchambers of commerce -- at which the Chinese official is expected
\nto make a major speech.<\/p>\n
The governor said he did not feel \"neglected\" at not getting a
\nBank of China invitation.<\/p>\n
But he told reporters, after attending a pilots' conference,
\nthat he was \"sorry\" Lu would not see him. He added that he was
\nprepared to change his schedule \"at any time if that is
\nconvenient to Lu.\"<\/p>\n
As relations between the governor and Beijing reach an all-
\ntime low, many local observers feel China is getting the upper
\nhand in the war of nerves over Hong Kong's future.<\/p>\n
One Chinese official, who requested anonymity, commented that
\nbecause Patten is insisting on going his own way over Hong Kong,
\n\"China is simply doing what it considers necessary steps\" before
\nthe 1997 handover.<\/p>\n
\"Patten does not really care about Hong Kong,\" he said, citing
\ncomments in Hong Kong's independent Ming Pao newspaper that
\nPatten looked unhappy in his job. The paper said the governor
\nused every opportunity to go to London.<\/p>\n
Patten will probably go London to visit an opera house next
\nmonth -- his ninth trip home since he became governor in June
\n1992, a government spokesman confirmed.<\/p>\n
But analysts also say China is stepping up pressure on Patten
\nin order to show the people of Hong Kong that there is no future
\nin towing the British line up to 1997.<\/p>\n
During his visit, Lu is to meet two sub-groups of the
\nPreliminary Working Committee, a Beijing-appointed body paving
\nthe way for the colony's transfer to Chinese rule.<\/p>\n
China has been enraged by Patten's ban on civil servants
\nmeeting the committee.<\/p>\n
\"It is quite obvious that Chinese authorities are showing they
\nare not happy with the state of affairs,\" said Joseph Cheng,
\npolitical commentator at the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
\"It is part of the strategy to make sure the people of Hong
\nKong know that the territory will definitely be under Chinese
\nsovereignty after 1997,\" Cheng said.<\/p>\n
Before visiting the British colony for the first time in two
\nyears, Lu will accompany Beijing advisers from the territory to a
\nmilitary camp in Guangzhou, southern China, where armed forces to
\nbe deployed in Hong Kong after 1997 are undergoing training.<\/p>\n
David McMillen, director of independently run Hong Kong
\nTransition Project, said \"it is more psychological warfare to
\nshow the people of Hong Kong that the other Hong Kong has begun
\nto emerge.\"<\/p>\n
He said it was alright for China not to have anything to do
\nwith Patten, but added that \"the problem of transition should not
\nbe isolated.\"<\/p>\n
At least China has shown good \"technical and practical
\ncooperation\" in recent months, he said. McMillen emphasized
\nChina's agreement on the need to tackle the property crisis, and
\nreported agreement on the future use of British military sites.<\/p>\n
Hong Kong's chief secretary Anson Chan, who is currently in
\nWashington lobbying for US renewal of China's most-favored-nation
\nstatus, expressed disappointment that Lu would not meet Patten.<\/p>\n
\"We have a whole range of transitional matters to discuss,\"
\nsaid Chan who added: \"We would be happy at anytime to meet with
\nhim to discuss these issues.\"<\/p>\n
The isolation China is imposing on Patten has prompted a
\nBeijing-funded newspaper, Hong Kong Commercial Daily, to comment:
\n\"Of all the governors of Hong Kong, Chris Patten is the most
\nlonely of them.\"<\/p>\n
The commentary added that the governor was being snubbed
\nsocially and was reduced to attending opening ceremonies normally
\nhandled by less senior officials.<\/p>",
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