BRITAIN yesterday urged China to abandon destabilising plans to replace Hong Kong's democratically elected Legislative Council with its own provisional government.
Opening the last scheduled Commons debate on the colony before next June's hand over toe Beijing, the Foreign Secretary, Mr Malcolm Rifkind, called on China to address the anxieties its plans were creating and "to think through the full consequences of building this legislative edifice on such shaky foundations".
He declared: "China would have to explain to Hong Kong and the world why it chose to replace a body for which more than a million Hong Kong people voted with one chosen by a hand picked electorate of 400.
But he warned MPs that prospects for agreement with China were "not encouraging" though he promised continuing efforts in the remaining few months of British rule. Nor had China been forthcoming with assurances on future, safeguards for human rights.
Labour MP, Mr Tony Banks, intervened to say: "I can't believe what you're saying. You can't be surprised that an authoritarian government like Beijing is actually acting in the way that they are."
The Foreign Secretary paid glowing tribute to the governor, former Conservative Party chairman, Mr Chris Patten, for the "vision and courage" he had used to steer the colony through difficult days. Mr Patten has been abused by China and widely criticised - Hong Kong for introducing too little democracy too late.
Mr Rifkind accentuated the positive, pointing to the rule of law and the high standards of the Hong Kong civil service.
He reiterated promises that some 5,000 mostly Indian Hong Kong residents would be granted admission to and settlement in Britain "in the unlikely event that they came under pressure to leave Hong Kong". But this fell short of the cast iron guarantees being sought by the group.