THE top Chinese official in charge of Hong Kong affairs, Lu Ping, is set to snub a red-carpet welcome by Governor Chris Patten when he visits the territory on Sunday. Chinese sources said yesterday that Mr Lu ''will definitely not meet Patten'' during his stay in Hong Kong - his first since January 1992. A senior aide at the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said the trip ''has nothing to do with the Government''. The official said it would ''not be convenient for him'' to comment on whether Mr Lu and Mr Patten would meet during the visit, which is expected to last ''eight or nine days''. Mr Patten has said he would give the red-carpet treatment to Mr Lu when he visited. Mr Lu will leave Beijing on Friday to meet more than 200 local pro-China figures inspecting the training of Chinese troops in the Guangzhou Military Zone. He will take a train on Sunday afternoon and is scheduled to arrive in the territory in the evening. Officials said Mr Lu would be here ''to attend the meetings of the Preliminary Working Committee''. Two sub-groups handling political and economic affairs will meet from Monday to Thursday. Mr Lu will also officiate at a ceremony on Monday to mark the issue of banknotes by the Bank of China. He will deliver a keynote speech, on the transition of Hong Kong, at a luncheon on Friday next week jointly hosted by five major business bodies in the territory - the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, the Chinese Manufacturers' Association, the Federation of Hong Kong Industry and the American Chamber of Commerce. Sources said Mr Lu would meet leaders in the pro-China camp during his visit, including delegates to the National People's Congress, Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Hong Kong affairs advisers. He will also meet leaders of the Federation of Trade Unions.
