IT is sheer hypocrisy for Preliminary Working Committee (PWC) member Lo Tak-shing to say he renounced his British nationality because he did not want to gain any advantage by associating with Britain.
If he had the determination to be Chinese through and through and wash away any trace of his 'Britishness', Mr Lo should have also surrendered the Commander of the British Empire (CBE) honour the Queen conferred on him. But he refused to do so, saying it was impolite to return a gift.
These are double standards.
Mr Lo said his decision to apply for a Chinese passport was prompted by exchanges he had with journalists at a Foreign Correspondent's Club meeting some time ago. He was asked whether he believed there was any conflict between his criticism of Britain while he retained his British honour and passport. Thereafter he decided to renounce his British nationality and applied for a Chinese passport.
Many will doubt Mr Lo's explanation, especially when his wife has hung on to her full British passport even nine months after Mr Lo received his Chinese one.
But in this controversy the most critical have not been the democrats, who make up the so-called anti-China faction in Hong Kong. The Democratic Party, the Liberal Party and the pro-China Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) have all been relatively mute, with only the Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood (ADPL) demanding the authorities concerned carry out a proper investigation.
Those who are most agitated are the very active pro-China figures. National People's Congress (NPC) Hong Kong deputy Liu Yiu-chu reacted with anger. But that was predictable - the outspoken lawyer has all along been highly critical of people such as Mr Lo, whom she despises as 'old batteries' disposed of by the British colonial government.