PLANS to improve civil servants' understanding of China have been criticised as ignoring lower-ranking staff.
The Governor said in his policy speech $15 million would be spent on expanding the training programme.
But Cheung Chung-wai, chairman of the Government Employees' Association, said: 'The planned courses, which offer a limited number of places, target management level only.' President of the Chinese Civil Servants' Association, Peter Wong Hyo, said there was a need for all staff to understand more about China.
The programmes, which will benefit 7,000 in 1994-95, will be expanded to cover an extra 45,000 in 1995-96. They include seminars and visits to China as well as courses on Putonghua and written Chinese.
The Deputy Secretary for the Civil Service, Thomas Tso Man-tai, denied management had ignored lower ranking staff.
