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SCMP Reporter

Beijing needn't have worried so much about Britain stripping the Hong Kong Treasury on departure.

   Now it can even control how much is spent on welfare.

   But there may be questions over the disappearance of a lot of chipped but serviceable china tableware to the Falkland Islands.

   No, don't laugh. Past practice when Britain shipped out of a colony was to pack up the crockery and send it where need was greater.

   So when Singapore became independent, much of the colonial china, including quite a bit from what used to be Malaya, was shipped to Hong Kong.

  And here it has been ever since, doing service in Government House and perhaps also the British Trade Commission, all mixed up with Hong Kong Government issue.

   The trusty old E II R insignia is still there, along with the gold rim. But, basically, it's just your standard white china - and in no better shape than when Sir Murray MacLehose used to complain about the state of the official dinner-service.

   Now there are proposals to ship the lot to the Falkland Islands next year. The official line from Government House is that there are no plans to dispose of it, and the Foreign Office admits no decisions have been taken.

   But what would China do with it? Is the Chief Executive going to eat off chipped plates with the Royal logo?    Is it all going to end up in Cat Street market with the old letter-boxes, the Royal Hong Kong Police badges and the Mao buttons?    Does the decision have to be taken in the Joint Liaison Group? Well-dressed and politically correct mainland ladies have been shocking the locals over the cold spell by opening their coats and flashing tight little pullovers emblazoned with China's red flag and five gold stars.

   All the rage among the cadre tai-tai set, apparently. And all from David Tang's pseudo-Shanghai emporium in Central.

    Now the winter is behind us, however, the canny Shanghai Tang managers have noticed it's time for a sale.

   While woollies with Japanese and British flags have been discounted by 30 per cent, the Chinese red ensign gets just 10 per cent off.

    Is there a lesson in this? Good thing there are no pullovers with Republic of China flags.

   Mr Tang would be paying us to take them away.

The Hong Kong Journalists' Association, the Foreign Correspondents' Club and Amnesty International have banded together to institute a new set of journalism awards in June.

   The subject must be related in some way to human rights.

   But it doesn't have to be heavy-handed, says our FCC mole. 'It can be as much about human rights observance as human rights breaches.'    Open to Hong Kong-based writers, broadcast journalists and photographers, the awards will go to work in English and Chinese.

   With two Junes to go before the change of sovereignty, they've just got time to establish it as an annual event.



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