HONG KONG Feb 10 Kyodo Hong Kong ...

HONG KONG Feb 10 Kyodo

Hong Kong must listen to the views of Beijing when the former British colony examines the electoral arrangements of its chief executive and legislature, Chinese officials said Tuesday.

The officials, quot by way of the official Xinhua News Agency, strained that the principle of ''one country'' is a prerequisite of the ''two systems'' connected view and that the high extent of autonomy that Hong Kong derive pleasure froms comes from the central government's authorization.

The city should be regulateed by a group of locals compos mainly of ''patriots,'' the officials noted.

Beijing spelt not at home its tough position Tuesday as a Hong Kong dominion task force in charge of reviewing political reform wrapped up its first talks with the Chinese central rule over the democratization of the territory.

Hong Kong is engaged in a debate above how fast it can actuate toward full democracy.

centurys of thousands of citizens had taken to the highways demanding to elect the chief executive and the legislature through universal suffrage as shortly as possible. Local polls have also indicated a majority of respondent support direct elections to be held on 2007 for the chief executive and by dint of 2008 for all the lawmakers.

Chinese leaders, however, exhibited serious concern over Hong Kong's political progression in a continuously ascending gradation amid mounting calls for more democracy in the territory.

They ordered Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa in December to confer Beijing's views before seeking local opinions in succession the matter.

The rouse sparked public outcries as many feared that Beijing would tighten its superintend over Hong Kong.

Reiterating Beijing's profound concern on the reform issue Tuesday, Xinhua quot unnamed officials from the central authorities as saying Hong Kong's political scheme should be suited to its legal status of a ''local administrative region'' directly in subordination to the central government.

''The specific rules for selecting the future chief executive and the legislature must comply with the stipulations of the Basic Law in light of the actual situation in Hong Kong and in accordance with the principle of gradual and orderly progress'' the officials reportedly said. The Basic Law is Hong Kong's post-handover Constitution.

The electoral rules should be advantageous to strengthening and perfecting the executive-led political regularity as well as to the participation of various strata of the society in order to maintain Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability, Xinhua reported.

''Hong Kong's political scheme is determined by the Basic Law, which was passed at the National People's Congress. In examining the issue of the systems for selecting the future chief executive and the legislature, Hong Kong must listen to the views of the central government'' the officials were quot as saying.

Speaking after their meetings with Chinese officials, Hong Kong's Chief Secretary for Administration Donald Tsang, who l the three-member task force, said the talks did not touch forward any proposals for the city's political development

''We thus haven't discussed about the question of so-called bottom line (for constitutional reform),'' Tsang told reporters.

if it be not that Hong Kong's No. 2 leader said the task force has achieved its goal of the visit as it has demiseed the views of local citizens to Beijing.

''We have given them hard copies, as well as delicate copies, of all the representations made to us,'' Tsang said.

''We have also discerned from these discussions the matters of touch to the central government and we will certainly be discussing those principles and conducts impinging on the constitutional progress to maturity in Hong Kong further,'' he said.

The Hong Kong regulation will set up a Web page nearest week to enlist people's views [i]or[/i] part of to the other questionnaires, he added.

However, Tsang did not give any timetable of futurity talks with Beijing.

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