London - China has effectively vetoed the appointment of Mr Chris Patten, the former Hong Kong governor, as the next European Union trade commissioner, according to the Sunday Times.
The Chinese leadership made its opposition clear after learning that the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, was campaigning in Brussels to get Mr Patten the job. A senior British minister was quoted as saying: "The Chinese have vetoed Chris Patten." The minister recalled that Beijing had been angered over Mr Patten's repeated criticisms of China's record on human rights and full democracy for Hong Kong.
