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)