Reaction to China troops

Any hopes that the British might be able to leave Hong Kong in an amicable and dignified manner were dealt a cruel blow yesterday (Friday) when Britain denounced Beijing's troop deployment plans.

Ask the average person in Hong Kong how they feel about the arrival here early on 1 July of 4,000 mainland troops, and they would probably shrug and say: "There is nothing surprising or frightening about that. It was only to be expected."

But Governor Chris Patten does not see it that way. He described the move as "appalling" and "a most unfortunate signal to send to the people of Hong Kong". The Foreign Office in London also reacted negatively to the announcement.

It is hard to understand the British reaction. The Chinese troops will not arrive until six hours after the last of the British garrison pulls out of the territory.

Numerically, it certainly does not constitute a mass deployment. The British garrison numbered 10,000 troops at its peak. A spokesman for Mr. Tung's office has used terms such as "low key", "calm" and "dignified" to describe the deployment. One reason for Mr. Patten's anger, it seems, is that the troops will be backed by, among other things, 21 armored vehicles. He said British officials had been urging China for weeks not to send armored cars. In an apparent reference to the events of June 1989, he said "the manner of their arrival may send a negative signal to the people of Hong Kong". But the atmosphere has changed in Hong Kong since the jittery days of 1989. Instead of needless frets and fears, Hong Kong seems relentlessly progressive and positive. We must remember that these troops will be arriving at 6 a.m. It is easy to understand why. Dawn is symbolic of a new beginning. But it is not so easy to understand Britain's overreaction to this deployment.

-- The Hong Kong Standard