HK chief slams UK official’s vote remarks

Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-Ying speaks to Journalist at a press conference after he delivered his 2013 Policy Address in Hong Kong, south China, Jan. 16, 2013. Leung delivered his first policy address on Wednesday morning at the Legislative Council here, outlining the city government's policy direction in 2013. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Leung Chun-ying said Sunday that Hong Kong does not need support from the UK or any other foreign government on the issue of political reform and universal suffrage for the Chief Executive elections in 2017.

The comment came after British Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire said in an opinion piece carried by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post on Saturday that Hong Kong's progress toward universal suffrage was "vital to its future stability" and Britain stands ready to support in any way it can.

Swire said in the article, which was also carried by the Hong Kong-based newspaper Ming Pao, that "there is no perfect model anywhere in the world, but the important thing is that the people of Hong Kong have a genuine choice to enable them to feel they have a real stake in the outcome."

Leung said after a public forum at a local school that this matter is entirely within the policy area of the Chinese people, and is not relevant to Britain.

Lau Nai-keung, a local member with the Committee for the Basic Law of HKSAR under the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), told the Global Times that it was absolutely inappropriate for the British government official to comment on the election affairs of Hong Kong.

"Universal suffrage is an internal affair of Hong Kong and the UK has no right to interfere," he said, noting that Hong Kong is debating over consultations on universal suffrage and Swire's remarks are obviously expressing his favor for the opposition.

Stephen Fung, a research fellow with the Hong Kong-based Asia-Pacific Institute of International Relations, told the Global Times that the British government hopes to maintain its influence in Hong Kong through publishing its opinions over certain issues.

"They want to influence Hong Kong's public opinions on universal suffrage and show the British government's stance," said Fung, adding that it could turn an internal affair into an international one, giving the US, its ally, reasons to "care about Hong Kong."

China last month lambasted the US for meddling in China's internal affairs after Clifford Hart, consul general of the US in Hong Kong, made remarks in favor of universal suffrage.

Related debates in Hong Kong have revolved around how candidates will be chosen to stand for the 2017 election for the Chief Executive.

The Hong Kong government earlier said it was committed to implementing universal suffrage in accordance with the Basic Law and relevant decisions made by the NPC Standing Committee.