CHINA yesterday accused Britain of playing more ''little tricks'' that would obstruct the progress of the political reform talks. Xinhua (New China News Agency) vice-director Zhang Junsheng attacked the announcement of the members of the new Boundary and Election Commission as another ''little trick'' by the British side. ''This matter happened during the Sino-British political talks,'' he said. ''Britain has played 'little tricks' and this is one of those. ''Sino-British talks about the 1994-95 electoral arrangements for Hongkong are [still continuing],'' he added. ''If we want the talks to have a positive result, they should not continue to play such 'little tricks'.'' The Government on Friday announced the membership of the three-man commission headed by High Court Judge Mr Justice Woo Kwok-hing. It is charged with drawing up boundaries for the '94/'95 polls. Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Michael Sze Cho-cheung last night responded to China's attack with a warning the administration could not spend all its time anticipating counterblasts from Beijing. ''We cannot discharge our responsibility for running Hongkong over the next four years if we spend all our time looking over our shoulder,'' he said. ''The commission's work is non-controversial, non-political and has widespread support in the community. It would be a mistake not to go ahead.'' Mr Sze said the Government had already shown its sincerity by holding back from putting the electoral reform bill before the Legislative Council, but the work of the commission could not be delayed. ''There is a very clear timetable,'' he said. ''They have to produce a report by October.'' The Secretary for Constitutional Affairs claimed even pro-China legislators backed the commission. The left-wing Ta Kung Pao yesterday also attacked the appointment of the commission's members as a ''false step'', saying Beijing would not recognise it. ''Chinese officials clearly stated any issue in the area of Sino-British diplomatic talks would not be recognised by the China side without its agreement or discussion,'' a commentary said. In an interview to be broadcast on ATV's Newsline at 7.30 pm tonight, Governor Chris Patten hints at an autumn deadline for the talks. ''I would be very surprised if, when I stand up in the Legislative Council in October, people expected me to give anything other than a pretty comprehensive report on where things stand,'' he says. Sources in London said yesterday that Britain was discontented with the slow pace of the talks, following last week's eighth round of negotiations in Beijing. Differences between the two sides are understood to have widened, as China revealed more details of its proposals for the 1995 polls. ''We're getting close to exasperation time,'' said one source, adding London had been ''bending over backwards'' to get an accommodation with the Chinese side, but without success. He said the British side now believed the only hope of success was if there was a sudden unexpected change in the Chinese negotiators' standpoint. But the source said the time was approaching when decisions had to be made about going ahead with electoral legislation. ''We're getting very close to the time when a circle will be drawn on the calendar round October 6,'' he said, in a reference to the Governor's policy address. Mr Patten will see Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd, as well as officials of the Hongkong department of the Foreign Office on Thursday morning, and is expected to discuss whether an October deadline should be set.