Article: Hong Kong ceremony marred by last-minute spat.(Originated from Knight-Ridder Newspapers)

HONG KONG _ Even the dying hours of the colonial era in Hong Kong did not pass Sunday without a last, nasty cat fight between London and Beijing.

As this gregarious city took on a festive mood, with residents preparing for a historic change of rulers with cocktail parties and concerts, the Beijing government made it clear that it would snub Britain's ultimate colonial acts of pomp and protocol.

Angered by recent criticisms from the West, neither Chinese President Jiang Zemin nor Premier Li Peng will attend a farewell banquet, to be held at about the time most Silicon Valley workers head for work Monday morning (6:15 a.m. PDT). Even so, the event ...

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