A group of exiled Chinese dissidents meeting in Macau have welcomed the elections being held in Hong Kong as a move towards more democratic government throughout China.

The meeting included Yan Jiaqi, who was an aide to the former Chinese Communist Party general secretary, Zhao Ziyang, and Wang Xizhe, a veteran activist who fled China in l996.

Correspondents say the bold nature of the gathering on China's doorstep signals the refusal of the group to be intimidated by the Chinese authorities.

Macau, a Portuguese territory on the south China coast, is due to be handed back to China at the end of l999.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service
 

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