Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen said yesterday that US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had been invited to visit Hong Kong for the handover to help her better understand the territory.
Mr Qian, who issued the invitation when Ms Albright was in Beijing last week, said he wanted to dispel rumours that China was trying to change Hong Kong.
Speaking to Guangdong and Hong Kong deputies at the National People's Congress, he claimed foreign media had created the impression that China was 'above the law' when handling Hong Kong affairs.
'I dare say that those who wrote such stories know little about Hong Kong, nor have the wish to do so,' he said.
Ms Albright, he said, seemed to have some 'new ideas' on the territory since their meeting.
'She wanted to talk about Hong Kong issues during the meeting . . . I talked to her about the disbandment of Legco and the abolition of some laws.