THE war of words between Hong Kong and China over welfare spending hit boiling point yesterday with a fresh attack on Governor Chris Patten, calling him a dictator.
Chen Zuo'er, head of a budget team under the Joint Liaison Group, continued his broadside against 'runaway' welfare spending, saying the Governor was the Queen's appointee and held all the power.
Compared to the post-1997 chief executive, Mr Patten 'is a big dictator. He is not qualified to speak', said Mr Chen at the Diaoyutai Guesthouse in Beijing at the end of two days of budget talks.
Secretary for the Treasury Kwong Ki-chi, sitting beside Mr Chen, retorted that he should not turn the media session into a venue for a personal attack.
On Tuesday, Mr Chen likened social spending to a runaway Formula One car, to which Mr Patten replied: 'We are the best car drivers in the world,' citing a report showing Hong Kong had the freest economy on earth.
But yesterday Mr Chen said: 'Mr Patten will not get the SAR driving licence.' China recognised the need to improve welfare as the economy grew, but Western-style welfarism was not the answer, he said.
'Some Western countries have already tasted the bitter fruits of welfarism. Do not do to others what you don't want to be done to you,' he said, adding that it was essential to take a long-term view of welfare.
