US Congress raises civil liberty curbs with Hong Kong chief executive

0 Comments | AFP, October, 2005

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The US Congress has expressed concerns over civil liberty curbs in Hong Kong directly to the Chinese territory's chief executive, Donald Tsang, during talks in Capitol Hill.

Media and immigration controls, disappointment over a constitutional reform plan and failure to make progress on universal suffrage were among the concerns raised by leaders of the US legislature during talks with Tsang, who is on a three day visit to Washington.

Henry Hyde, the Republican chairman of the powerful committee on international relations of the House of Representatives, and ranking Democratic member Tom Lantos raised the issues in a "very candid but cordial" fashion, Hyde's spokesman Sam Stratman told AFP.

"The concerns over civil liberties were on freedom...