CONTROVERSY continues over former director of broadcasting Cheung Man-yee's exile to a trade post in Tokyo. Miss Cheung had expected to begin her new job by accompanying Tung Chee-hwa on his December 7 visit to South Korea, which includes a key meeting with President Kim Dae-jung. That would have made sense if the Government was telling the truth about wanting her in this post to boost Hong Kong's trade prospects in the region. But last week it emerged her exile to Japan apparently also involves keeping her away from Mr Tung. The place at his side has been instead given to Paul Leung Sai-wah, the outgoing Tokyo representative, and Miss Cheung will not take up the post until December 10. Officials say it was all a misunderstanding. Apparently the Japan job does not include responsibility for South Korea. But Mr Leung was mistakenly asked to help with the arrangements and so included in the line-up as a matter of courtesy. Given all the suspicions about Miss Cheung's transfer that explanation might have been hard for some to swallow. So yesterday came word from the Chief Executive's Office that 'the composition of the delegation has not been decided'. In other words, the Government has embarked on a hasty rethink. But it remains to be seen if Mr Tung will be willing to tolerate having Miss Cheung at his side as the price for avoiding further controversy. Amusing scenes at a briefing for legislators last week when one official explaining the Disney deal made the serious mistake of starting to say something interesting. Treasury Secretary Denise Yue Chung-yee began revealing what would happen if the park did worse than the Government's rosy projections. Despite being her junior, Tourism Commissioner Mike Rowse - who struck the deal with Disney - quickly intervened to put a stop to this, saying it was commercially sensitive. A clearly uncomfortable Ms Yue fidgeted and ran a hand through her hair as Mr Rowse told legislators they would have to make do with a bland written answer. But he refused to admit she had spoken out of turn, saying it would be 'imprudent' to comment on this. Relations between the two have been rocky in the past but are said to have greatly improved during the Disney talks. In any case, Mr Rowse makes no secret of trying to get the last word at work. He told a press conference at Government House last week this was because his wife, former South China Morning Post political editor Fanny Wong Lai-kwan, never lets him do so at home. More on former Governor Chris Patten's remarkable rehabilitation by Beijing. First he was invited to attend the Macau handover in his new role as European Union Commissioner for External Relations. Now he is even being allowed to visit Beijing, an honour denied during most of his governorship. European Union President Romano Prodi will be visiting the Chinese capital on November 15, and Mr Patten is expected to form part of his entourage. It is only seven years since Beijing called him a 'man of guilt for a thousand years' over his controversial political reforms. But the quick commuting of that sentence shows what can be accomplished when trade relations are at stake.