TALKS between the British Foreign Secretary, Mr Malcolm Rifkind, and the future Hong Kong leader, Mr Tung Chee hwa, yesterday failed to narrow the gulf between the territory's outgoing and incoming governments.
After his first meeting with Mr Rifkind since his selection, Mr Tung told reporters that London had refused to budge from its objections to China's plans to appoint an interim legislature and dilute various ordinances, including Hong Kong's bill of rights.
Mr Tung endorses such policies and Hong Kong's pro democracy lobby vociferously opposes them.
He said he still harboured hopes that the British would relent and co operate with China's provisional legislature. "Britain's position has always been clear, but I hope they will reconsider," said Mr Tung, a billionaire shipping magnate who was appointed by Beijing in December.
Britain argues that the formation of the provisional legislature, which reverses the reforms instituted by Governor Chris Patten, is illegal under the terms of the 1984 Sino British Joint Declaration. The pact binds Britain to restoring Hong Kong to China in mid 1997 and China to maintaining Hong Kong's freedoms and capitalist way of life intact for 50 years.
Mr Rifkind later attacked sceptics who said Britain was impotent against China's plans for Hong Kong after the handover. Britain would exert maximum pressure on China to live up to the joint declaration, he said, and warned that the eyes of the world were watching.
"The international dimension is not only a passive interest in Hong Kong but increasingly becoming an active interest, particularly on the part of the United States."
Mr Rifkind also said London's responsibility did not end with the handover. The British government would monitor events in its former colony and report to parliament every six month on China's promise to stick to its part of the joint declaration.
"Hong Kong will remain Britain's business for long after the handover. That is our wish and our pledge."
But in a palpable sign that British influence is waning fast after more than 150 years of colonial's rule, only eight of Hong Kong's, current legislatures made time to meet Mr Rifkind yesterday in a meeting brought forward from today.
Mr Rifkind's visit, his second since taking up his post, was a whistlestop affair, cut short to let him return home early for a key vote in parliament.