Former CS Anson Chan Meets With Mike Pence

The former Chief Secretary, Anson Chan, on Friday had a brief conversation with US Vice President Mike Pence in Washington, during a trip to brief top officials there on the latest developments in Hong Kong.

Chan and two pro-democracy lawmakers, Charles Mok and Dennis Kwok, are currently in the US capital at the invitation of the White House to brief members of the National Security Council.

A press release issued by the Civic Party said, ahead of that meeting, Chan had had a brief conversation with US Vice President Mike Pence, where he expressed concerns over rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.

During a subsequent meeting with members of the National Security Council, a wide range of issues were also discussed, such as stalled democratic development in the city, the SAR government's controversial proposal to amend extradition laws, as well as its decision not to renew the work visa of Financial Times journalist Victor Mallet.

Last August, Mallet had hosted a talk at the Foreign Correspondents' Club, given by the head of the pro-independence Hong Kong National Party, Chan Ho-tin.

The two sides reportedly agreed that whether the US-Hong Kong Policy Act should remain in place is largely dependent on whether "One County, Two Systems' is being properly implemented in Hong Kong -- with rights and freedoms, and the rule of law properly safeguarded.

Meanwhile the acting Chief Executive, Matthew Cheung, said many western countries have misunderstandings about Hong Kong's autonomy.

He was responding to the US State Department's latest Hong Kong Policy Act Report, which suggested that growing political restrictions here may be damaging the confidence of the international business community.

Speaking to reporters after attending an event, Cheung said such remarks are biased as many western countries tend to apply their values onto Hong Kong.

What they don't understand, he said, was that Hong Kong needs to abide by the "One Country" principle - and that means protecting the country's sovereignty and integrity.