China premier chides Hong Kong leader

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Monday publicly chided Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang over "deep-rooted conflicts" in the city and told him to be more effective in tackling them.

The remarks, made during Tsang's annual duty visit to Beijing, come as the Hong Kong government faces opposition as it tries to push through electoral reforms in the former British colony.

Pro-democracy legislators say the reforms do not go far enough towards universal suffrage and Beijing has shown increasing frustration at Tsang's hesitant handling of the issue.

The reform process has overshadowed Tsang's three-day visit to Beijing, which ends Tuesday, and Wen's remarks are the most critical of Tsang by a national leader since he took power in 2005.

Hong Kong's government-run radio station RTHK reported that Wen praised Tsang for his handling of the economy but told him to be more effective in solving "deep-rooted conflicts" in the city.

Wen also urged Tsang to study what were described as more "comprehensive important questions", and to plan for the future, according to the radio station.

The comments come days after President Hu Jintao praised neighbouring Macau for its political stability and for implementing a tough security law similar to one shelved in Hong Kong because of political opposition.

The remarks were seen as an indirect criticism of Beijing-appointed Tsang's failure to effectively unite the community and subdue political opposition in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is embroiled in a debate over proposed electoral reforms for the 2012 elections for the legislature and the position of chief executive.

The city currently has only limited democracy with half its 60-seat legislature directly elected and no public vote for the chief executive.

Hong Kong has a separate political and judicial system to the rest of China under the "one country, two systems" arrangement under which it was returned to China by Britain in 1997.

Its mini-constitution technically allowed for full democracy from 2007 but Beijing intervened to rule out universal suffrage until at least 2017.

Last updated on Dec 28^th, 2009 at 10:53 am IST--DPA