The Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of the People's Republic of China in Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region (HKSAR) said Tuesday that a US Congress'
commission's HK related report is not true to the real situation in
Hong Kong.
A spokesman of the Commissioner's Office said Tuesday night that
the contents of the annual report of the Congressional-Executive
Commission on China (CECC) concerning Hong Kong's democratic
process is not true to the real situation of Hong Kong's
constitutional development which has been advancing in an gradual
and orderly manner.
The spokesman stressed that the Chinese central government has
been sincerely and unswervingly upholding and implementing the
policies of "One Country, Two Systems", "Hong Kong people governing
Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy.
The spokesman said, "we urge the CECC to wipe out its prejudice,
respect the truth, respect the 'One Country, Two Systems' policy,
respect the Basic Law of the HKSAR and stop its interference in
China's internal affairs and stop its damage to Hong Kong's
stability and prosperity."
A Hong Kong government spokesman, in response to the US
Congressional-Executive Commission's report on Hong Kong,
reiterated that the HKSAR government would take forward
constitutional development in accordance with the Basic Law.
The spokesman said the Basic Law provides that the elections of
the Chief Executive and all Members of the Legislative Council
(LegCo) by universal suffrage is the ultimate aim, and that this
shall be achieved in the light of the actual situation in the HKSAR
and in accordance with the principle of gradual and orderly
progress.
The election for the third term Legislative Council held in
September this year is an important milestone in Hong Kong's
constitutional development. For the first time in Hong Kong's
history, 50 percent of LegCo Members are returned by geographical
constituencies through direct elections, the spokesman said.
The decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's
Congress (NPC) in April this year was taken after careful
consideration of the views of the Hong Kong community, he said.
"The Constitutional Development Task Force will endeavor to find
common ground and build consensus as we take forward the
constitutional development process," the spokesman said.
The spokesman said that by constitutional design, the Central
Authorities have the powers and responsibilities to oversee Hong
Kong's constitutional development. The decision taken by the NPC
Standing Committee on Hong Kong's constitutional development was
legal and proper.
"We hope that foreign governments and legislatures will continue
to respect the principle that HKSAR's electoral arrangements should
be made in accordance with the Basic Law," he said.
The spokesman added, "over the last seven years, with the strong
support of the Central Authorities, we have successfully turned
'One Country, Two Systems' into an everyday reality and have been
running Hong Kong under a high degree of autonomy. Our freedoms --
of the press, expression, assembly, religion and many others --
remain strong and are deeply rooted in the rule of law."
The spokesman pointed out that Hong Kong had always been a safe
and peaceful city, with a crime rate lower than that of many
developed countries.
(Xinhua News Agency October 6, 2004)