Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa said that it is legitimate for China's top legislature --the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) to interpret the Basic Law according to the Constitution and article 158 of the Basic Law.

Tung made the remarks at a press conference held Friday evening.

He said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government was duly notified by the central government that China's top legislature will deliberate a draft interpretation of Clause7 of Annex I and Clause 3 of Annex II of the Basic Law in its next meeting from April 2 to April 6.

He said a meeting of the NPC Standing Committee chairman and vice-chairmen Friday decided to collect views of the Basic Law Committee of Hong Kong SAR under the NPC Standing Committee on the draft interpretation.

Tung said the central government has stated that the constitutional development of Hong Kong concerns the full implementation of the Basic Law and "one country, two systems," concerns interests of various strata and sector of the community of Hong Kong, as well as the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.

China's top legislature's discussion of the constitutional development indicated that the central government has been attaching great importance to the issue, he added.

Tung said constitutional development is a complicated and serious issue, concerning the basic interests of the whole nation and Hong Kong as well.

He said, in the past two months, the Constitutional Development Task Force has promoted extensive discussion among the community on the issue. The community does have a wide range of opinions on the issues of legislative process.

He said the task force will meet members of the NPC Standing Committee to reflect the views of the public on the issues of legislative process collected in the past two months and the position of the HKSAR government on these issues.

(Xinhau News Agency March 27, 2004)