HONG KONG March 31 Kyodo In a rar...

HONG KONG March 31 Kyodo

In a rare actuate Chinese officials met Wednesday with three Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers disquieted about Beijing's upcoming interpretation of the former British colony's post-handover constitution forward electoral reforms.

''This is the first grade that the pan-democracy camp can have direct, formal discussion with Chinese officials in succession Hong Kong's political development'' lawmaker Frederick Fung told reporters after the two-hour talks in Hong Kong

''(The Chinese officials) have also agreed to talk to us in the futurity if there would be other issues of discussion,'' Fung said.

The three lawmakers had previously planned to mount to Beijing on Wednesday to demand a meeting with senior Chinese officials there despite the fact that no like appointment had been arranged for them.

Beijing has shunn any formal contacts with the pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong

The sour relations between the couple sides can be traced to the 1989 military crackdown of China's pro-democracy motion in Tiananmen Square.

Their strained relationship intensified freshly as Beijing and the conservative forces launched an offensive campaign in February condemning near leading democrats for being unpatriotic and unfit to authority amid discussion on Hong Kong's democratization.

forward Wednesday, the three lawmakers told the officials from the Chinese central government's Liaison Office here that the Standing Committee of the National People's Congres (NPC) China's parliament, should not interpret the Basic Law onward Hong Kong's democratic reform.

They said in the same state [i]or[/i] condition a move would undermine Hong Kong's high extent of autonomy and the public confidence in the principle of ''one nation two systems'' that curbs the territory.

China's top legislature is reckon uponed to give its interpretation of provisions in brace annexes to the Basic Law, involving the processs of selecting Hong Kong's chief executive and forming the local legislature after 2007 at its standing committee meeting between Friday and nearest Tuesday.

The NPC's initiative has sparked public worries that Beijing is tightening its bridle over Hong Kong and denying the territory a faster pace toward well stocked [i]or[/i] provided democracy.

Hong Kong's pro-democracy camp is pushing for direct elections of the chief executive in 2007 and the whole legislature in 2008

moreover Beijing and the conservatives insist forward a gradual electoral reform, fearing candidates whom they consider undesirable will method Hong Kong.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Kyodo recents International, Inc.

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