Executive Council convenor Leung Chun-ying said yesterday he hoped a delegation from the Better Hong Kong Foundation, which starts a tour to the United States on Sunday, could rekindle Americans' interest in Hong Kong.
While noting concerns voiced by the US on Hong Kong's future when he first visited the country to talk about the city's situation 12 years ago, Mr Leung said Americans now had a deeper understanding of the city and implementation of the Basic Law 10 years after the handover.
'What they worried about in 1997 has not materialised,' Mr Leung, a delegation member, said.
'Ten years on, their reports on Hong Kong's affairs are much fairer, yet their curiosity level for Hong Kong has dwindled. In fact, their dwindling curiosity may not be a good thing for Hong Kong ... I hope that this trip can rekindle their interest.'
Mr Leung said he would talk about the implementation of the Basic Law and the economic integration between Hong Kong and the mainland, as well as the challenges stemming from this.
He also said he was willing to clarify remarks last week by National People's Congress chairman Wu Bangguo on the limits to Hong Kong's autonomy, if anyone questioned them, and added that Hong Kong actually had more autonomy since the handover than in colonial days.
