Latest News:  

English>>China Politics

Central govt sincere about HK universal suffrage

By Kahon Chan (China Daily)

11:25, July 17, 2013

National sovereignty and the lawful rights of the central government must be safeguarded when implementing universal suffrage in Hong Kong, the central government's top representative in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region said at a luncheon with legislators on Tuesday.

Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Liaison Office of the Central Government in the HKSAR, reiterated that people in Hong Kong should not doubt the central government's sincerity in implementing universal suffrage in Hong Kong, and the whole process must follow the course set in 2007 by the Basic Law and the National People's Congress Standing Committee.

"The central government's stance and sincerity to implement universal suffrage in Hong Kong are unquestionable. ... If we want to achieve the goal of universal suffrage early, we must follow the track set by the Basic Law and the National People's Congress Standing Committee and make no detours," Zhang told 59 members of the Legislative Council, also known as LegCo, from both the pro-establishment and the opposition camps.

"We should get to know clearly the terms and regulations of the Basic Law concerning the Chief Executive and LegCo elections to find what problems are yet to be solved and what problems have already been tackled," Zhang said.

"Then we should concentrate on studying those unsolved problems, explore their possible solutions and finally have a concrete solution plan. That would be the right approach," he said.

Zhang stressed that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's approach to universal suffrage must be compatible with its administrative status, comply with the principle of "One Country, Two Systems" and respect the relationship between Hong Kong and the central government, adding that the electoral setup must ensure State sovereignty and the central government's lawful rights.

"An essential thing I need to point out is that Hong Kong is not a country. It's a local administrative region of the People's Republic of China that has been given a high degree of autonomy," Zhang told legislators at the luncheon.

"Therefore, Hong Kong's universal suffrage arrangement must be compatible with the HKSAR's administrative status and its actual situation, must follow the ‘One Country, Two Systems' principle, and respect the relationship between the HKSAR and the central government, so as to ensure national sovereignty and the lawful rights of the central government," he said.

It was the first time a liaison office chief had attended a Legislative Council luncheon. Zhang said he also hopes to expand the liaison office's communication with the local government and people from all fields.

"We welcome communication with anybody as long as they are sincere. We have a lot of good friends in the LegCo, but that's not enough. We hope to make some new friends," Zhang said, adding that he came to the Legislative Council with "goodwill and sincerity" and wishes to have more contact with local legislators in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

We Recommend:

A forward thrust in Sino-US relations

New media tells'Chinese foreign affairs story'

Xi, Obama meet for first summit

No tolerance for rogue behavior on dispute

Poverty elimination remains important task

China is victim of hacking attacks

Email|Print|Comments(Editor:ZhangQian、Yao Chun)

Leave your comment0 comments

  1. Name

  

Selections for you


  1. PLA special forces hold military skills contest

  2. "Peace Ark" provides medical treatment

  3. Protest held to demand release of prisoners

  4. Rape victim's mother wins labor camp lawsuit

  5. A glimpse of residents' daily life in China's Sansha city

  6. Sea foods, a luxury bite in summer

  7. Unbeliveable drunk men

  8. Geopark in Hohhot opens to public

  9. Migrant workes' high incomes not that rosy

  10. China's GDP totals 24.8 tln yuan in H1

Most Popular

Opinions

  1. 'Prism' burns America's Internet supremacy
  2. Merkel's rivals go on attack over US spying
  3. Slower economic growth set to be a winning choice
  4. Investing abroad not easy: Experts
  5. Reinvigorated CCTV gala brings hope for art scene
  6. China's anti-dumping probe is not retaliatory
  7. China's economic growth slows to steadier pace
  8. Washington must overhaul bipolar way of thinking
  9. Why the customer remains the king
  10. Going mobile is the key to business success

What’s happening in China

Quadruplet sisters and their family

  1. River polluters handed prison terms
  2. Uptick in jobs despite downturn
  3. Beijing apps help get passengers out of a jam
  4. Sichuan floods wreaking havoc on crops
  5. Extreme heat causing vehicle fires