ABC News: China gives no ground on democracy for Hong Kong:
Chinese President Hu Jintao gave no hint on a timetable for universal suffrage for Hong Kong on Tuesday and said any change must be gradual, a week after lawmakers there rejected Beijing-backed election reforms.
During talks in Beijing, Hu underscored China’s support for Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang, and said the purpose of the financial hub’s ‘one country, two systems’ model was to let the city’s people rule themselves.
“But just as in any country and any region democratic development is a gradual historical process, Hong Kong’s democratic development must also be pushed forward in a stable, sure-handed and systematic way,” state media quoted Hu as saying.
