Washington's lead envoy to Hong Kong spoke yesterday of his 'respect' for chief-executive-elect Leung Chun-ying, praising his successful campaign as a potential step towards universal suffrage by 2017.
In his first public remarks since Leung's victory in March, US consul general Stephen Young said he looked forward to the broad and inclusive public debate about Hong Kong's political future that was on show during the campaign 'further expanding' during Leung's term.
'I have gotten to know Mr Leung and have a lot of respect for him,' Young said after his annual address to the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. 'I have to say he ran a pretty good campaign. He was out there well before the selection process began last year talking about public issues ... [And] you had a lot of aspects that were important building blocks towards universal suffrage in 2017 and 2020.
'Hong Kong people are ready for progress,' he added, noting that there had been extensive public appearances by candidates, debates and polls. Hong Kong is due to elect the next chief executive by universal suffrage in 2017 and the Legislative Council in 2020, but nomination procedures and other details have yet to be finalised.
Leung, Young said, had played a key role and 'he very definitely had views on all issues and I think that the stronger polls he had among his competitors were an indication that what he was talking about was getting some resonance.'
The veteran diplomat, previously posted in Taiwan and the former Soviet Union, has been repeatedly attacked in Beijing-mouthpiece newspapers for trying to influence Hong Kong affairs through the consulate's long-standing political contacts.