President Bill Clinton is likely to avoid a private meeting with Democratic Party chairman Martin Lee Chu-ming when he visits Hong Kong, for fear of causing a rift with Beijing.
The President is scheduled to hold a joint meeting with several newly elected legislators, including Mr Lee, but a separate session with Mr Lee has been ruled out.
The Democrats have been pushing the White House to show its support for the party in the wake of Sunday's elections, but State Department aides have advised Mr Clinton to decline.
Although Mr Clinton held a high-profile meeting with Mr Lee in the White House a few months before the handover, the administration fears that doing so on Chinese soil would be a diplomatic affront to Beijing.
The diplomat in charge of handling the issue is Richard Boucher, the US Consul-General, who is laying plans for the President's itinerary during his June 2 stay in Hong Kong - including the meeting with Legco members.
The decision to avoid a private meeting with Mr Lee is not likely to go down well in the US. The Washington Post yesterday called on Mr Clinton to rethink.
