Thus she wanted to use the visit to show that it is merely a fine training institute for civil servants. The only difference between the college and other universities was that the former provided a lot of on-the-job training.

The three officials accompanying Ms Leung - Solicitor-General Daniel Fung Wah-kin, law draftsman Tony Yen Yuen-ho and Director of Administration and Development Stephen Lam Sui-lung, were apparently thrilled by the experience. Mr Yen told reporters he wanted to attend courses there.

Other officials at the Department of Justice immediately followed Ms Leung's cue. The Director of Public Prosecutions Grenville Cross, who led a delegation to Beijing on March 28, also asked to visit the college. Ms Leung said she did not want to 'brainwash' Mr Cross.

Ms Leung said she was the first SAR official to visit the college because others had not asked to go.

It is easy to know why. Under 'one country, two systems,' communist cadres will not be sent to run Hong Kong.

SAR officials do not wish to be associated with the CCP organisations, particularly something as sensitive as the party college.

During the visit, a college vice-principal told journalists that cadres could not be promoted without having received training at the college. Prompted by this line of thinking, a report in the Hong Kong Economic Times suggested SAR civil servants should be sent to the college.

It is understandable that Ms Leung and Chinese officials would like to erase Hong Kong people's hostile views about the CCP. Hong Kong is part of China and Beijing will not tolerate feelings of antipathy against the CCP.

Ms Leung hopes her visit to the party college will achieve that effect.

This is easier said than done. Decades of pent-up feelings against the CCP cannot be wiped out with one or two show case visits.

It would be more effective if the local branch of the CCP, that is, the Hong Kong Macau Work Committee, was to be more open and accessible to the people.

The committee operates under the guise of the Xinhua news agency and has often been in the news lately because of Ms Leung's refusal to prosecute Xinhua for violating the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.

Latest reports said the Government has surreptitiously changed the law to exempt Xinhua and other mainland organisations from at least 13 other local laws.

Such negative publicity will render Ms Leung's painstaking efforts futile. Work to improve the CCP's image should start in Hong Kong. People must know what the CCP is up to.

SAR Government officials, members of the Executive and Legislative Councils and statutory and advisory bodies must declare their membership of the CCP.

At present, people suspected of being a CCP member just shrug off questions with a laugh.

Such attempts to palm off the public will no longer do. Unless and until the veil of secrecy is lifted from CCP activities and its membership in Hong Kong, no public relations work will alter the people's negative impressions.