Hong Kong's biggest democracy party has dismissed Beijing's warning that it will create havoc for the city's China-backed government if it wins a majority in September's legislative election.
Democratic Party Chairman Yeung Sum (
"Our basic principles are not changing. Our stance is not changing. But we can tone down our language," he said in an interview on Thursday.
Beijing is clearly worried that pro-democracy forces could derail important government legislation if they win nearly all of the 30 seats up for grabs in the 60-seat legislature, or even use their newfound clout to push for independence.
In recent months, Chinese officials and their supporters have launched blistering attacks on leading pro-democracy activists, warning voters that they could paralyze the local government or turn the freewheeling capitalist city into a welfare state.
But in the latest sign that the bitter rivals are trying to bring tensions off the boil, Yeung assured voters that his party would not make trouble.
Yeung, who has been banned from entering China, said the democrats were willing to work with the Beijing-backed government of the territory, which reverted to Chinese rule in 1997.
"I have never said such words," Yeung said, when asked about fears that his camp could hold the government to ransom.
"If we win about half of the seats, the government will talk with us to try to get our support. People will also have higher expectations of us, they won't just ask us to present opposing views ... we'll coordinate with the government's work," Yeung said.
Hong Kong's democracy camp, long a harsh critic of Beijing, made surprise moves last week to mend fences, a conciliatory strategy which pundits say is aimed at trying to win more support ahead of the polls.
Yeung said his party was now toning down its anti-Beijing rhetoric to ease political tensions in the city of nearly 7 million people.
The democracy bloc's call for a truce has not fallen on deaf ears, although few analysts believe the conciliatory moves by both sides in recent weeks are much more than gestures.
Beijing has quickly proposed talks and beleaguered Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa (
Yeung said the party would continue to fight for full, direct elections for the city's leader from 2007 and all of its legislature from 2008, even though Beijing has ruled that out.
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