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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session after a breakfast meeting on constitutional development at the Central Government Offices this morning (March 18):
Reporter: Mrs Lam, could you tell us how the breakfast meeting went? And there have been a lot of questions about the Central Government's new set of bottom lines on universal suffrage. Did the officials from the Liaison Office make any clarification?
Chief Secretary for Administration: This is the first of a series of breakfast meetings that the Hong Kong SAR Government has arranged with an objective to enhance communication between two very important stakeholders. On the one hand of course we have the Legislative Council members and on the other hand will be the Central People's Government (CPG) through its representative in Hong Kong, that is officials from the Liaison Office. This morning the representatives from the Liaison Office came from its legal division. I would say that over the one and a half hour meeting the atmosphere was very good. Everybody has a chance to express their view in a very rational manner, but after all, since this is the first encounter of this nature, I notice that most of the members were expressing sort of views of principle that they have already expressed in public, but of course this is an occasion for them to express it face-to-face to officials from the Central People's Government Liaison Office in Hong Kong. As far as the parameters for taking forward constitutional development, I think we have been adopting a very consistent position throughout, that is it has to be carried out in accordance with the legal provision, that is the relevant provisions in the Basic Law, as well as the relevant decisions and interpretations of the National People's Congress Standing Committee. These important positions have been reiterated by the CPG Liaison Office representatives at this morning's meeting.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Issued at HKT 11:56
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