The National People's Congress Standing Committee will discuss Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa's report on Hong Kong's constitutional development when it meets on April 25 and 26.

Mr Tung's report recommends that the methods for selecting the chief executive in 2007 and for forming the Legislative Council in 2008 be amended.

According to Xinhuanet, at a meeting this morning, the standing committee decided to deliver the report to the State Council's relevant departments for further study.

Some committee members will be asked to hear opinions from Congress deputies and National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference members from Hong Kong.

They will also be asked to hear the views of Hong Kong members of the Committee for the Basic Law of  Hong Kong, as well as people from all sectors of  Hong Kong society and the Constitutional DevelopmentTask Force.

Central Gov't attaches great importance to the report

Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa thanked the committee for putting his report on the agenda for its meeting.

Mr Tung said the arrangement shows the Central Authorities attach great importance to the report and Hong Kong's constitutional development.

He hopes the committee will soon determine that the methods for selecting the Chief Executive in 2007 and for forming the Legislative Council in 2008 can be amended, so Hong Kong people can move on to the next step as early as possible in taking forward Hong Kong's constitutional development.  

The Constitutional Development Task Force will visit Shenzhen on April 22 at the invitation of the committee to brief their representatives on its second report.