Department of State

Daily Press Briefing

Richard Boucher, Spokesman

Washington, DC

January 9, 2004

 

MR. BOUCHER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. If I can, I'd like to mention two statements that we will be putting out in more detail in writing. The first has to do with recent developments in Hong Kong, and the United States is expressing its strong support for democracy through electoral reform and universal suffrage in Hong Kong.

 

We believe these will advance economic and social development and are essential to Hong Kong's prosperity and stability within the "one country, two systems" framework.

 

……(second statement on January 7th attacks on a political demonstration in Haiti)

 

QUESTION: Could I ask a quick one on Hong Kong, about the statement you read?

 

MR. BOUCHER: Sure.

 

QUESTION: I don't know whether it will be in the statement. But do you -- are you specific about the way -- you talk about electoral reform -- do you -- are you specific about the way that they elect the chief executive? Are you talking about if he should be or she should be elected directly by the people rather than appointed?

 

MR. BOUCHER: Well, our belief is in democracy. If you look at the basic law for Hong Kong it provides that in the coming years when the term of the present chief executive expires, they need to decide how to choose how to elect the chief executive. We express and have expressed before our support for democracy. And I believe that the Hong Kong people and the Hong Kong Government need to start addressing this issue even though it comes up in a couple of years, but that it's time for fairly wide extensive consultations in Hong Kong so that the Hong Kong people get the chance to design the system that's appropriate for them.

 

QUESTION: Didn't the Chinese Government just come out a couple days ago and warn the United States and other countries not to interfere in Hong Kong's electoral --

 

MR. BOUCHER: I suppose they've done that before.

 

QUESTION: I take it you're --

 

MR. BOUCHER: I do remember them having done that before. But no, I think, first, there's a couple points to make on that. First of all, this belief in democracy is worldwide; it's not specific to China or Hong Kong or anywhere else. We do believe it's a factor for prosperity and stability, and we care a lot about the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. So there's no -- there shouldn't be any wondering about why we express it with regard to Hong Kong.

 

Second of all, the provisions of China's own, of the basic law that governs the status of Hong Kong, provide that this issue needs to be decided and discussed in coming years.

 

QUESTION: So you --

 

MR. BOUCHER: And so we're saying it needs to be addressed.

 

QUESTION: Right. Okay. So you wouldn't regard your comments as interference at all?

 

MR. BOUCHER: No, I regard them as entirely appropriate; otherwise, I wouldn't be making them.