America's leading spy agency is warning that Hong Kong remains a hub for the region's heroin trade - despite the White House removing the SAR from its major drug watch-list.
The CIA's latest World Factbook - one of its few publicly released documents - describes Hong Kong as 'a hub for [the] Southeast Asian heroin trade; transshipment and money-laundering centre; with increasing indigenous amphetamine use'.
The description has angered Hong Kong government officials, who waged a long but successful battle to get the SAR removed from the so-called 'majors' list of leading drug-producing and trafficking states.
'We really don't know where they have come up with this . . . it no longer represents reality as reflected by other parts of the US Government' one Hong Kong official said.
The old schedule ranked Hong Kong along such internationally dubious nations as Nigeria, Paraguay and Haiti and could have resulted in sanctions.
It had long been a sore point with the Government.
Former president Bill Clinton removed Hong Kong from the list last November, just before leaving office.