EVEN judging by the high level at which Hong Kong affairs are now dealt with in London it was a highly unusual step, demonstrating just how critical the deadlock in the talks over the territory's political future has become.
The embattled British Cabinet last Wednesday reportedly took 12 minutes out of its regular weekly session - normally dominated by discussion of the domestic woes that threaten to topple the Conservative government - to hear about the current crisis in the negotiations over Hong Kong's electoral arrangements.
Despite Governor Chris Patten's much-vaunted direct access to Prime Minister John Major, the raising of the territory's affairs in the full Cabinet is an extremely rare event. Sometimes a year or more will go by without it ever occurring.
Hong Kong officials, even those close to the Governor, knew nothing about it, and were surprised to hear it had happened at all. When Mr Patten recently flew back to London, it was only for a meeting of a smaller sub-committee of ministers.
But sources in London revealed Hong Kong was high on the agenda when ministers gathered in Downing Street on a foggy cold morning last Wednesday, for the 10 am session.
Shortly after 11 am, Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd reported on his icy Tuesday afternoon encounter with Chinese Ambassador Ma Yuzhen, at which he had expressed ''deep disappointment'' over how Beijing had gone back on its word to make concessions, during the 16th round of talks.