The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government called on foreign governments to respect the principle that Hong Kong's constitutional development shall be taken forward in accordance with the Basic Law, a government spokesman said Tuesday.

It is in response to the remarks by US Consul General James Cunningham that Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage in 2007.

The spokesman said the HKSAR Government is committed to further opening up the methods for selecting the Chief Executive in 2007 and for forming the Legislative Council in 2008, in accordance with the Basic Law and the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of April 26, 2004.

"We aim at formulating a set of proposals which will enable us to move towards the ultimate aim of universal suffrage in a gradual and orderly manner, and which will enhance public participation in the two electoral methods, and broaden the representativeness of the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council," he said.

"The Constitutional Development Task Force will release its fifth report in the autumn to set out the Government's proposals on how the two electoral methods should be amended," he added.

Source: Xinhua