Warnings of dark plots by foreigners hide darker intentions

Everyone likes a chuckle, and so connoisseurs of the absurd should give heartfelt thanks to Hao Tiechuan , the propaganda chief at the central government's liaison office. Hao's latest venture found him accusing Britain of trying to stir up trouble in Hong Kong following an article in this newspaper by Hugo Swire, a UK junior foreign minister.

The reality is that the British government barely gives Hong Kong a passing thought and has not done much since 1997. No doubt the fine people at the Foreign Office in Whitehall will strenuously object and point out that they issue a six-monthly report on the implementation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, alongside dispatching various luminaries for what amounts to trade missions.

Yet, according to Hao, "since 1994 [sic], Britain has tried to retain its benefits and influence in Hong Kong and tried to cause difficulties and troubles for the future SAR government and China".

He does not elaborate why 1994 is his chosen date but he is presumably referring to the political reforms introduced by governor Chris Patten at this time, which were, just for the record, opposed by the pan-democrats.

Surely he can't be talking about the anodyne six-monthly reports from the Foreign Office crafted in advanced diplomatese. Or maybe he objects to the fact that officials, such as Swire, have the temerity to turn up here on visits where they quaff a few cocktails, do the dreary round of meeting government officials and then go home to tackle more pressing issues.

The reality, contrary to Hao's fantasy about Britain always stirring up trouble in the colonies from which it retreated, is that once the Union flag has been hauled down, the British have a pretty consistent record of turning their back on the former colonies, especially in places where their departure was accompanied by turmoil, as, for example, in Zimbabwe, Kenya and Palestine.