Hong Kong's constitutional reform is now a national issue, Central Policy Unit chief Lau Siu-kai said yesterday.
The chief executive's top adviser said political reform was no longer a matter of Hong Kong's internal affairs.
'Basically, it has been promoted to a national issue. Any change in the constitution has to be in line with the country's interests,' Mr Lau said.
'The central government has a leading constitutional role. Hong Kong is in fact in close co-ordination with the central authorities.'
Mr Lau disagreed with claims that Premier Wen Jiabao's support for the Hong Kong economy, voiced on Sunday at the end of the National People's Congress meeting, was aimed at solving the political dispute.
'Whether Premier Wen's statements can lead to an improvement in our government's support rate depends on the speed of the economic recovery and whether policies conform with public opinion,' he said.
