Business as usual for NPC official sticking to the script

A leading official with the National People's Congress steered clear of politics and stuck to economics when he addressed a seminar at Polytechnic University yesterday.

NPC vice-chairman Cheng Siwei would not comment on the Democratic Party's planned Legco motion expressing regret at Beijing's decision to rule out universal suffrage in Hong Kong in 2007 and 2008.

In Macau on Monday, Professor Cheng said that some people in Hong Kong had distorted the Basic Law and deliberately twisted the views of the central government. He cited the recent challenge to the interpretation of the Basic Law as an example of the distortion. He was referring to the failed attempt by Democrat leader Martin Lee Chu-ming to move an amendment strongly condemning the ruling on universal suffrage.

The Democrats plan to put forward a watered-down motion stating that the NPC Standing Committee ruling counters the 'one country, two systems' principle and undermines Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy.

Professor Cheng told the seminar there was room for economic co-operation between Hong Kong and the mainland.

He said the central government's plan to cool the mainland's overheating economy would not seriously affect Hong Kong's economy.