Daily Press Briefing

Richard Boucher, Spokesman

Washington, DC

April 26, 2004

 

CHINA/HONG KONG: Decision on Suffrage/ Future of Democracy for People of Hong Kong

 

QUESTION: Hong Kong?

 

MR. BOUCHER: Hong Kong.

 

QUESTION: Do you have anything on Hong Kong after Beijing ruled that the Hong Kong people cannot have the universal suffrage in 2007 and 2008 for the Chief Executive and the in the legislature?

 

MR. BOUCHER: We are disappointed by the decision, as we believe it doesn't adequately reflect the expressed wishes of the Hong Kong people for universal suffrage and for democracy.

 

As we've stated before, the United States supports electoral reform and universal suffrage in Hong Kong in keeping with the Basic Law's own goals. The Hong Kong people have taken to the streets three times to express their own support for these goals.

 

The United States believes that the Hong Kong people's aspirations should be given priority in determining the pace and the scope of democratization in Hong Kong. International confidence in Hong Kong is based on its rule of law and the high degree of autonomy. The United States will continue to watch the situation closely with the goal of supporting democracy.

 

Yeah.

 

QUESTION: A lot that -- the decision was made by the Chinese Congress and Chinese Foreign Minister said it's in accordance with the basic law. Are you -- would you say that Hong Kong -- people in Hong Kong should follow the rule of law?

 

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think I'm going to try to give you all the legal debate that's been going on back and forth about the authorities of the National People's Congress under the law, but we think that there's a basic reality in Hong Kong, and that is that the people of Hong Kong have wanted universal suffrage, wanted democracy; and that they have expressed their views very widely and through actions such as the demonstrations. We believe that the views of the people of Hong Kong should be taken into account.

 

QUESTION: Maybe you would suggest the Chinese Congress to make an amendment to the basic law?

 

MR. BOUCHER: I'm not making any legal suggestions here. I'm saying that, as a matter of simple reality, the wishes of the people of Hong Kong can, should, and really must be taken into account as one talks about their future.

 

Yeah.

 

QUESTION: Are you concerned if there might be a larger protest, maybe around 1st of July in Hong Kong?

 

MR. BOUCHER: I don't -- I can't predict that sort of thing, but they've -- certainly people in Hong Kong have expressed their views, and we think their views need to be heard.

 

Yeah, ma'am.

 

QUESTION: Sorry. Do you think the Beijing (inaudible) is actually eroding or erosion into the high autocracy promised by the joint declaration when Hong Kong was handed back to mainland China?

 

MR. BOUCHER: I don't have any sort of sweeping characterizations at this moment. We do report on this periodically. But I really don't have any new characterizations overall. I'm speaking about a specific matter, but a very, very important matter, and that's the future of democracy for the people of Hong Kong, something that they, themselves, have expressed a desire for many times. And we believe those views need to be taken into account.

 

Yeah, Chris.

 

 

View the full transcript please see attached.