AFP: US Urges Hong Kong to Strengthen Democratic Institutions

July 10, 2003

(Clearwisdom.net) WASHINGTON, July 10 (AFP) - The administration of US President George W. Bush urged Hong Kong Thursday to strengthen democratic institutions and broaden dialogue between the citizens of the Chinese enclave and its authorities.

"The United States cares about Hong Kong's future and looks forward to the day when every citizen will be able to contribute fully and freely toward Hong Kong's success," Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly wrote in The Wall Street Journal.

The comment came as Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee-hwa shelved an internal security bill after 500,000 people took to the streets on July 1 in the most spectacular protest in more than a decade.

The bill would have given the local government broad authority to jail people on charges of treason, sedition, subversion and theft of state secrets.

"The government's 11th-hour decision to cancel the scheduled vote on new treason and anti-subversion legislation was a sign of respect for the will of the people of Hong Kong," Kelly wrote in his article.

He argued that the dialogue now established between the government and citizens should advance understanding between the two sides so that the government could grasp the priorities Hong Kong citizens have expressed.

"The July 1 march demonstrates the need for better channels of communication between the populace and their government so that the people's representatives can more accurately reflect their views," argued the assistant secretary of state.

"There is no more effective means of providing that better channel than through the institutions of democracy."

Kelly called on the Hong Kong authorities to trust their own people because it was impossible to succeed without them.

http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/dv/Qus-hongkong.Ri55_DlA.html