Prince Charles preached community involvement Wednesday at a luncheon with businessmen from Hong Kong and Vietnam on the last day of his five-day visit to the British colony.
Charles also visited tiny publicly owned apartments, a home for the elderly and a workshop for the mentally handicapped in Hong Kong, which reverts to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.The heir to the British throne visited two families, including Ivan Ngan, an insurance salesman, and his wife and their two children in their 400-square-foot flat.
Ngan said he suspected the visit was aimed at winning Hong Kong's hearts and minds ahead of 1997.
"The changeover is near and the British try to give us the impression that they stand on our side and care about our lives," Ngan said. "(But) the royal family is not that important to us anymore."
In the afternoon, Charles toured a farm specializing in research and wildlife preservation. He was to leave for London late Wednesday.