• JOHN Gulliver (CNJ, May 11) mentions Hong Kong and Han Zheng, the vice-president of China, as someone to blame for overseeing the crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong.

In fact there was no democracy when Hong Kong was a colonial possession of Britain for 156 years.

After resuming the exercise of sovereignty in 1997 the Chinese government implemented the basic policy of “one country, two systems”.

Lord Patten, the last governor of Hong Kong under the name of Chris Patten, recently decried the fact that Hong Kong had ever been handed back to China.

Charles III, as the Prince of Wales, called it the great Chinese take-away. He also commented on the Chinese leadership as being an appalling old waxworks.

During demonstrations in Hong Kong, when it was once more a part of China, British and United States flags were waved as if to say Hong Kong should have remained a colony.

WILSON JOHN HAIRE, N19