CHINA is to draft a list of government assets it wants Britain to provide details of.
The aim is to push for expert talks on the issue to begin in the Joint Liaison Group.
The list will identify the assets China requires Britain to hand over in 1997, according to a mainland source.
The initiative is set to spark a row over the definition of 'government assets'.
It is understood China will include on the list government-owned bodies including the Mass Transit Railway Corporation, the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, the Hospital Authority, the Housing Authority and the Airport Authority.
However, Britain says the bodies are private corporations which should not be regarded as government assets.
The source said the list was soon to be completed, hopefully before the end of the month, and handed to Britain for further discussion.