Chinese exclude Brits from Hong Kong anniversary bash

BEIJING -- The Hong Kong and central Chinese governments have turned down requests for Britain to take part in major celebrations planned to mark the 10th anniversary of the return of the former colony to the mainland.

Officials have made clear that there is to be no role for Hong Kong's former rulers in the ceremonies, which include a flag-raising event on the morning of July 1 and the swearing-in of its chief executive, Donald Tsang, for a new five-year term.

The Communist Party leadership in Beijing will be well represented, on the other hand. President Hu Jintao and the prime minister, Wen Jiabao, are both expected to attend.

"We were rebuffed," one [British] diplomat in Beijing told The Daily Telegraph.

Related Links

Hong Kong's colonial past is still present