Hong Kong's Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa (
Tung said he would not ask China to review an edict issued in April that snuffed out hopes of a swift transition to democracy in the territory.
"I understand that the public are disappointed by [Beijing's] decision but as chief executive I have no authority to change that decision," Tung said after an hour-long meeting with 20 pro-democracy legislators.
The meeting was the first contact between the government and the pro-democracy lobby since an estimated 500,000 people marched last Thursday to demand the right to directly elect the territory's leaders.
Tung said he would pass on the views of pro-democracy groups to Beijing but stressed he would not ask China to review its ruling.
Last week's march was fuelled by anger over China's ruling and fears for freedom of speech in Hong Hong. The huge turnout raised hopes China might re-address the reform issue and Tung has been under pressure since to raise the matter in China.
In yesterday's meeting, legislators led by Democratic Party chairman Yeung Sum (
A disappointed Yeung said after the meeting that Tung had flatly turned down both requests.
"He said it was not a new situation ... he doesn't see a need to review the decision," said a grim-looking Yeung, flanked by Lau and Martin Lee (
"He said he heard [the public demand] but he hasn't ... I can see clearly that he doesn't believe there is a need to have universal suffrage in 2007 and 2008," Yeung said.
He said the march had encouraged democrats to keep on pushing for change.
"The chance of seeing universal suffrage is always there. If we can keep on the fight in a peaceful and collective manner, it will come," he said.
GEARING UP: An invasion would be difficult and would strain China’s forces, but it has conducted large-scale training supporting an invasion scenario, the report said China increased its military pressure on Taiwan last year and took other steps in preparation for a potential invasion, an annual report published by the US Department of Defense on Wednesday showed. “Throughout 2023, Beijing continued to erode longstanding norms in and around Taiwan by employing a range of pressure tactics against Taiwan,” the report said, which is titled “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China (PRC) 2024.” The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) “is preparing for a contingency to unify Taiwan with the PRC by force, if perceived as necessary by Beijing, while simultaneously deterring, delaying or denying
‘ONE BRIDGE’: The US president-elect met with Akie Abe on Dec. 15 in Florida and the two discussed a potential Taiwan-China conflict’s implications for world peace US president-elect Donald Trump has described Taiwan as “a major issue for world peace” during a meeting with Akie Abe, the widow of late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, Japanese newspaper the Yomiuri Shimbun quoted sources as saying in a report yesterday. Trump met with Akie Abe on Dec. 15 at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where the two discussed the Russo-Ukrainian war and the situation in the Taiwan Strait. During the meeting, Trump spoke on the implications for world peace of a potential Taiwan-China conflict, which “indicated his administration’s stance of placing importance on dealing with the situation in
QUICK LOOK: The amendments include stricter recall requirements and Constitutional Court procedures, as well as a big increase in local governments’ budgets Portions of controversial amendments to tighten requirements for recalling officials and Constitutional Court procedures were passed by opposition lawmakers yesterday following clashes between lawmakers in the morning, as Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members tried to block Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators from entering the chamber. Parts of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法) and Constitutional Court Procedure Act (憲法訴訟法) passed the third reading yesterday. The legislature was still voting on various amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) as of press time last night, after the session was extended to midnight. Amendments to Article 4
ALLIANCE: Washington continues to implement its policy of normalizing arms sales to Taiwan and helps enhance its defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said US President Joe Biden on Friday agreed to provide US$571.3 million in defense support for Taiwan, the White House said, while the US State Department approved the potential sale of US$265 million in military equipment. Biden had delegated to the secretary of state the authority “to direct the drawdown of up to US$571.3 million in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Taiwan,” the White House said in a statement. However, it did not provide specific details about this latest package, which was the third of its kind to
RSS