Departing sovereign warrants little faith

BRITISH Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind arrived in the colony on Saturday on his way to China. With only 540 days to go before the Chinese takeover, he can experience first-hand the local people's feeling of powerlessness and frustration.

This afternoon Mr Rifkind will meet Legislative Councillors in an unprecedented open session. Fewer than half of the 60 Legco members have said they would attend. This must be a sign of the times.

If a Chinese official such as the director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, Lu Ping, were to meet Legco members instead, there would undoubtedly be a full house.

One of the reasons for the lack of interest is that the British are no longer powerful. Practical, hard-nosed Hong Kong people, including many Legco members, gravitate toward power.

That means they look to the incoming sovereign and the newly appointed Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Preparatory Committee (PC) for favours, concessions, contracts and patronage. Many have long turned against the British by sucking up to Beijing.

Another reason why Legco members are fed up with visiting ministers is their non-answers, which amount to an insult to members' intelligence. Former foreign secretary Douglas Hurd and former minister with special responsibility for Hong Kong Alastair Goodlad were past masters.

When confronted with difficult questions, they promised to provide written answers at a later date, but none have ever been received. Such untrustworthiness breeds cynicism and contempt.