Charlie and the Great Chinese Takeaway

Prince Charles is taking legal action against the Mail on Sunday newspaper for publishing excerpts of his private memoir written in 1997 after the Hong Kong handover. I just love it when national leaders make snide comments about China.

It concerned the handover of Hong Kong, and in it he described the Chinese Communist leadership as "appalling old waxworks" and railed against Tony Blair and his coterie of advisers... A spokesman admitted that the move in effect confirmed the authenticity of the remarks...

Looks like Charlie sure knows how to let off steam and enjoys having a good old rant like any one of us. His Royal Highness' eloquent whingemanship has prompted me to think that we are quite possibly a match made in heaven. Now if only he'd throw his weight behind the anti-foxhunt campaign....

Entitled The Handover of Hong Kong or the Great Chinese Takeaway, the prince's note criticised the "ridiculous rigmarole" and "awful Soviet-style display" of goose-stepping Chinese soldiers during the ceremony, referred to the diplomatic jockeying to prevent royal loss of face beforehand - in the event he was not required to bow to the then Chinese president, Jiang Zemin - and mocked the Chinese leadership.

He added: "After my speech the president detached himself from the group of appalling old waxworks who accompanied him and took his place at the lectern. He then gave a kind of 'propaganda' speech which was loudly cheered by the bussed-in party faithful at the suitable moment in the text."

Notwithstanding the embarassment stemming from public scrutiny of what previously were private musings, Prince Charles' memos did not involve leaking state secrets, uncovering of CIA operatives nor lead to baby seals being clubbed to death. On the contrary, his observations are on par of his Sinosceptic views reflected in his boycott of the last official state visit by China in 1999 and missing Hu's recent visit to the UK. He should therefore call off the legal action against the Mail for reporting what really lies behind the rigid handshakes and overly gracious smiles.