WHILE Beijing has been praised for including a number of prominent businessmen among the 94 Hong Kong representatives on the 150-strong Preparatory Committee for Hong Kong that will help oversee the territory's transfer of sovereignty, some big names are noticeable by their absence.
Controversial infrastructure pioneer Gordon Wu Ying-sheung has failed to make the grade. So has former stock exchange chairman Charles Lee Yeh-kwong, Indian community leader Hari Harilela, manufacturing king James Tien Pei-chun, and Sino Land Co chairman Robert Ng Chee-siong.
All had previously been appointed advisers to China on Hong Kong affairs by Beijing.
Some of the territory's biggest listed firms, like Hongkong Bank, Hang Seng Bank, Hongkong Telecom, Swire and, not-surprisingly, Jardines also lack direct representation. These companies were accustomed to automatic seats on the British Governor's elite Executive Council during colonial times.
Mr Wu, managing director of Hopewell Holdings and chairman of Consolidated Electric Power Asia (Cepa), had been amongst the first batch of Hong Kong advisers appointed by China in 1992.
He was once believed to have good access to Chinese leaders such as Premier Li Peng, but analysts believe he may have lost favour because of recent disputes over some of his mainland power projects and the row surrounding the huge cost overrun of his Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Zhuhai superhighway.
A blow for Hong Kong's ethnic minorities has been the omission of Hari Harilela, chairman of the Harilela Group - which operates the Holiday Inn chain of hotels - and honorary president of the Indian Chamber of Commerce.
