US will keep its nose out of Hong Kong poll, says envoy Clifford Hart
In cautious maiden speech, Clifford Hart vows Washington will not take sides while sticking to its basic stance on need for universal suffrage
The top US envoy in Hong Kong said yesterday Washington would not support any political parties or give any prescription on reform when it came to the city's democratic development.
Clifford Hart's cautious approach in his maiden public speech came a month after Foreign Ministry Commissioner Song Zhe warned him to stay out of the city's affairs.
Speaking at a lunch hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce, the US consul general said Washington supported Hong Kong's progress towards genuine universal suffrage, but it had "no prescription".
"The United States will always stand for our core democratic values," Hart said.
He said soon after his arrival on July 30 that he was looking forward to Hongkongers' move towards "genuine democratic suffrage". He has also met various political parties in the past two months.
"The United States does not take a position for or against any particular formulation on how genuine universal suffrage is achieved," Hart said yesterday.
"We will always advocate the fundamental principles that underlie every successful democracy - open dialogue and debate, the rule of law, free and fair elections, and choice among candidates."
