Hong Kong's constitutional development should follow the
principles of conforming to the actual situation, seeking gradual
and orderly progress and guaranteeing balanced representation, said
Qiao Xiaoyang, deputy secretary-general of the National People's
Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, on Thursday at a forum hosted by
the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government.
Qiao pointed out that the report Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive
Tung Chee Hwa will submit to the central authority should be on
principle instead of on detailed issues. It should reflect various
suggestions and opinions of Hong Kong society. Evaluation and
decisions will be made by the central authority.
Qiao, together with Li Fei, deputy director of the Legislative
Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, and Xu Ze, deputy
director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State
Council, arrived in Hong Kong Wednesday morning at the invitation
of the SAR government and the Liaison Office of the Central
People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR, to explain and exchange
views on the interpretations of the annexes of the Basic Law of the
Hong Kong SAR by the Standing Committee of the National People's
Congress.
Speaking at the conclusion of the two-hour forum, which was
attended by some 100 Hong Kong law practitioners, Hong Kong Chief
Secretary for Administration Donald Tsang said that participants to
the forum had exchanged views in a frank and constructive
manner.
He also said that the chief executive of the Hong Kong SAR had
requested the Constitutional Development Task Force, with Tsang as
the head, to complete the second report relating to constitutional
development in Hong Kong as soon as possible.
Tsang said the task force would try its best to convey to Tung
the opinions and represent the interests of the majority of the
Hong Kong people through its report.
Qiao, Li and Xu also attended a seminar Thursday afternoon to
continue exchanging views with Hong Kong Legislative Councilors and
people from other segments of society.
(Xinhua News Agency, April 9, 2004)