Tense talks marked dispute between UK and Beijing over cancelled Hong Kong visit
A picture has emerged of the fraught negotiations that went on between Hong Kong and Beijing ministers and the British over the vetoed visit to the city by a UK parliamentary inquiry team.
A picture has emerged yesterday of the fraught negotiations that went on between Hong Kong and Beijing ministers and British diplomats and ministers over the vetoed visit to the city by a UK parliamentary inquiry team.
The British Foreign Affairs Committee released a letter on its website from Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire detailing the timeline of the discussions.
It follows last week's grilling of Swire by the committee over the failure to issue a diplomatic protest to China's ambassador for vetoing its trip to examine the implementation of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, which paved the way for the 1997 handover.
The arguments over the ban focused on whether Beijing had the right to bar travellers who did not require visas to enter the city.
The letter shows Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Justice Secretary Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung and Constitutional and Mainland Affairs minister Raymond Tam Chi-yuen became involved in the debate that ultimately saw the Foreign Affairs Committee cave in - cancelling the trip on December 1.
Some 19 conversations were held between November 6 - when the British government was told the committee would be barred from entering Hong Kong - and December 2.
In the earlier conversations, British Consul General Caroline Wilson and the UK ambassador to China, Sebastian Wood, got involved, along with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his deputy Wang Chao .
In the latter stages, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Chinese Vice-Premier Ma Kai became involved.
A Hong Kong government spokesman said yesterday: "The matter concerns our nation's foreign policy, and hence it falls within the prerogative of the central government. We have no further comment to add."
A British Foreign Office source familiar with the discussions said Beijing remained adamant that a visit would not go ahead - fearing the lawmakers would fuel publicity and support for the Occupy Central movement. The talks dragged on as Hong Kong gave mixed signals about approving the visit.
