Mainland Basic Law drafter Xiao Weiyun came to tell Hong Kong people that they cannot decide on political reforms by themselves because the central government must be involved.
In fact, he said, Beijing has the power 'to decide the development of Hong Kong's political system' because it has a bearing on the relationship between the central government and the special administrative region, as well as on Hong Kong's long-term prosperity.
Of course, those calling for the direct election of the chief executive in 2007 recognise that the Basic Law, in Annex I, says that if Hong Kong wants to change the method for selecting the chief executive, such a proposal 'shall be reported to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for approval'.
However, the understanding was that the situation was different if Hong Kong decided to elect the entire Legislative Council through universal suffrage. This is because Annex II of the Basic Law, instead of saying such a proposal has to receive the 'approval' of the standing committee, merely says that it must be reported to the standing committee 'for the record'.
But, we are told by Mr Xiao, even Legco changes must be approved by the central government. He also said that the standing committee could refuse to 'record' such a proposal.
Mr Xiao reminded his listeners of provisions of the Basic Law, remarks by the late Deng Xiaoping and discussions within the Basic Law drafting committee. Clearly, he has a fine mind and an excellent memory for someone who is 80 years old.