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Hong Kong Spat Flares

BEIJING -- Hours after Hong Kong legislators voted Thursday to adopt electoral reforms, China said it would disband the colony's elected bodies when it takes over from Britain in 1997.


Chinese Foreign Ministry spokes-man Shen Guofang also said Britain's decision to implement the reforms without Chinese approval was bound to affect relations between the two countries.


Hong Kong's Legislative Council voted 32-24 early Thursday to pass reforms proposed by Governor Chris Patten to broaden democracy in the colony by modeling its electoral system more closely on Britain's.


China fears a more democratic Hong Kong could be harder to govern and could encourage those calling for change within China.

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