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HK democrats urges China

for diaogue, hail assuurances

HONG KONG: Hong Kong's biggest democratic group on Wednesday welcomed Chinese assurances on the survival of democracy after the territory reverts to Beijing in mid-1997 and urged China to engage in a constructive political dialogue.

Democratic Party vice-chairman Anthony Cheung told Hong Kong radio the unexpected assurances on Tuesday by China's top policy maker on Hong Kong, Lu Ping, had to be matched with action.

"In general, we welcome the comments by Lu. But of course, at the moment Lu is simply stating the legal position, and that is after 1997 so long as party or other groups operate within the laws of Hong Kong, then their activities would be tolerated," Cheung said.

"I think if the Chinese government respects political activities in Hong Kong and is prepared to face up to various political parties in Hong Kong, then the Chinese side should be more open-minded and have direct dialogue with various political parties including the Democratic Party," he said.

Lu said in a television interview on Tuesday China did not fear democracy after it recovers the territory in mid-1997, that it wanted to see universal suffrage in the territory, and would tolerate dissenters, including the Democratic Party.

"The assertion that China is afraid of implementing democracy in Hong Kong is completely a misunderstanding, and is unfair," said Lu, head of China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.

Lu's remarks to ABC television news of the United States appeared to be a significant softening by Beijing, which had previously branded the Democratic Party's leaders as subversive and which had attacked democratic reforms carried out in the British colony by Governoer Chris Patten.

The Democratic Party is the most popular party in the colony. It won most seats in last year's legislative elections.

Lu told ABC the Democratic Party could run for election in Hong Kong after 1997, so long as it abided by Hong Kong's laws.-Reuter