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THREE local police officers will attend counter-terrorism training and take part in security at a major political conference in the UK next month.

  The training is expected to boost security measures for the World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meetings in the territory in 1997, even though Hong Kong is expected to move even lower down the terrorism risk ratings under Chinese rule.

  The annual meetings, which will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from September 23 to 25, will draw up to 10,000 delegates, including financial ministers from about 150 countries.

  A spokesman for the event's hosts, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, said the steering committee would hold its first meeting next month.

  The committee includes Financial Secretary Sir Hamish Macleod and Secretary for Security Alastair Asprey, and will cover all aspects including security.

  The Hong Kong Police Key Points and Search Unit has already been used for former United States president George Bush's visit to the territory in November last year, but the 1997 meetings will draw a larger number of international leaders.

  Inspectors Li Hong-man, George Lee Kiu-ki and James Yu Fat-sum will depart from Hong Kong for firearm and explosive search training from next week.

  They are scheduled to arrive in England by September 15 for the three-week course at the Counter Terrorist Search Wing at the Royal Engineers' Chattenden barracks in Kent.

  They will then take part in security arrangements for the Conservative Party annual conference in Bournemouth for four days.

  The search unit assumed the role of searching for firearms and explosives from the British Garrison in 1990. It locates narcotics, as well as arms and explosives which are then dealt with by the Bomb Disposal Unit.

  The search unit commander, Superintendent Colin Thornborrow, said the training would give the inspectors experience in a high-risk terrorism situation.

  They will receive joint instruction from the British Police and the Royal Engineers, who are bomb disposal experts, and be briefed on explosive devices at present used by terrorist organisations. They will train with the latest counter-terrorism equipment.

  The Hong Kong unit has 17 teams of volunteers led by Mr Thornborrow. It has one acting chief inspector, 26 inspectors and 144 junior police officers, who are called up when required.

  Mr Thornborrow said the training could also be a step towards localisation of the unit.

  Meanwhile, Hong Kong is tipped to move even lower down the list of world terrorism targets after its return to Chinese rule in 1997.

  A Jewish Club spokesman said Arab countries had always considered Hong Kong part of China, so the territory had been largely protected since the 1970s.

  An attack in the colony would have jeopardised Arab business links with China.

  The spokesman said the future was even more promising given Israel's improving relations with its neighbours. China established diplomatic relations with Israel in January 1992, and played a part in the multi-lateral Israeli-Arab Middle East peace negotiations.

  The handover in 1997 will also end speculation about whether Hong Kong is a potential IRA target because it is a British colony, high-profile, and a major communications centre.

  Mr Thornborrow said Hong Kong's infrastructure, language and triad organisations deterred groups such as the IRA.

  He did not anticipate increased terrorist activities after the departure of the British Garrison because Hong Kong would continue to enjoy the protection of China.

  He said crime and narcotics were a bigger problem than terrorism.

  A Civil Aviation Department spokesman said an incident in March in which a mentally disturbed man got on to the Kai Tak airport runway without a boarding pass was not a cause for concern because armed offenders were a different matter.

  But the incident was a reminder that no system was foolproof against ''deliberate acts'' by unarmed individuals.



Officers to get UK anti-terrorist training