Sze to be asked for talk details
LEGISLATORS will ask the Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, Mr Michael Sze Cho-cheung, for details of the latest diplomatic exchanges between China and Britain when he meets the constitutional development panel tomorrow.
While the meeting was originally arranged to clarify the conflicting accounts given by Britain and China on the diplomatic exchanges that have deadlocked talks on the territory's political future, legislators will use the opportunity to find out more about the latest developments.
Legislators are especially interested in whether the latest diplomatic exchanges in London have removed the obstacles to talks.
A British Foreign Office spokesman confirmed the Foreign Office Minister with special responsibility for Hongkong, Mr Alistair Goodlad, had met Chinese Ambassador Mr Ma Yuzhen in recent weeks in London.
The vice-chairman of the United Democrats of Hongkong (UDHK), Mr Yeung Sum, said they would ask Mr Sze if new diplomatic exchanges had taken place between the two governments.
''Obviously, we want to know the latest developments. We want to see if the old obstacles have been removed or if there are new stumbling blocks emerging,'' Mr Yeung said.
He said the UDHK would also ask Mr Sze whether April 21 was the deadline for the Government to table the electoral bill in the Legislative Council.
He said the party would only accept a further delay if a specific date had been set by the two governments to resume talks.
''There is no reason to let the matter drag on. Time is running out,'' he said.
''We will also ask Mr Sze if the two governments will have meetings on matters other than the electoral arrangement,'' Mr Yeung added.
