(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-12-29 15:44

Wu said the NPC Standing Committee reached consensus on the opinions and advice proposed in Tsang's report, including the general hope among Hong Kong people for an early decision on the universal suffrage schedule.

"Those opinions and advice are objective and practical," Wu said. "It is necessary, feasible and legitimate to clarify appropriate amendments to the method for selecting HKSAR Chief Executive and the Legislative Council in 2012 and set up a schedule on universal-suffrage selection."

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Since Hong Kong returned to the motherland a decade ago, Wu said, the principle of "one country, two systems" and the HKSAR Basic Law have been generally effective.

The central government firmly sticks to the principle of "one country, two systems," "Hong Kong people governing HKSAR" and high degree of autonomy, strictly abides by the HKSAR Basic Law, and fully supports governance of the HKSAR Chief Executive and the HKSAR government, in order to keep long prosperity and stability, Wu said.

Under the HKSAR Basic Law, the Chief Executive led all ranks and circles in Hong Kong to composedly address various challenges to Hong Kong, maintain stability in Hong Kong, and achieve a sound situation of growing economy, stable society and better livelihood, Wu said.

Since the economic recovery in 2003, Wu said, Hong Kong has kept a good momentum on development, remaining an international financial, trading and transportation center.

"Hong Kong remains the free and open economy with the most vitality throughout the world," Wu said.

Evidence proves and will continue proving the arrangement of "one country, two systems" could be achieved and run soundly, with full vitality, Wu said.

The HKSAR Basic Law is a good law tested by the practice, and implementation of the Basic Law is not a one-strike-for-all job but a generation-after-generation demanding task, he said.

"We should further solidify our determination on implementing the Basic Law, cherish the hard-achieved sound situation in Hong Kong, safeguard the dignity of the Basic Law and consciously push forward the great cause of fulfilling the principle of 'one country, two systems," Wu said.

The HKSAR constitutional development will undoubtedly affect implementation of the principle of "one country, two systems" and the HKSAR Basic Law, relationship between the HKSAR and the main land and the interests of the Hong Kong people, and thus have significant bearing on the long prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, Wu said.

The central government always attaches great importance to the constitutional development in Hong Kong, he said.

With the principle of gradual and stable constitutional development stipulated by the Basic Law, Wu said, the NPC Standing Committee clarified the timetable for universal suffrage in selecting the HKSAR Chief Executive and forming the HKSAR Legislative Council, which again embodies the policy of the central government on promoting constitutional development in Hong Kong and meets fundamental interests of the Hong Kong people.

"We believe that the HKSAR government would hold high the banner of the Basic Law, unify all ranks of life, appropriately address issues concerning the constitutional development in line with the NPC Standing Committee decision, and finally reach the goal set in the Basic Law that HKSAR Chief Executive and Legislative Council members are selected by universal suffrage," Wu said.

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