BEIJING, March 6 -- With Hong Kong residents so close to the historic threshold of "one person one vote" for electing their own chief executive, the attitude towards constitutional reform is a touchstone of love for the oriental jewel.

Disturbances over the proposed constitutional reform in Hong Kong hardly represent the core discussion over whether or not the changes abide by the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), which was enacted after repeated discussions and consultations between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong and took effect as one constitutional law after the People's Republic of China (PRC) resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong on July 1, 1997.

Although continuing a capitalist path following the "one country, two systems" political arrangement, the HKSAR is part of China and subject to the Chinese central authority.

Both the PRC Constitution and the HKSAR Basic Law are the constitutional basis defining legislative boundaries in the special administrative region of the PRC.

Any proposal on improving universal suffrage has to be within the constitutional framework of the Basic Law and the election principles decreed by the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, the top legislature of the PRC.

The Basic Law stipulates that the method for selecting the HKSAR chief executive shall be specified in accordance with the principle of "gradual and orderly progress." In a "gradual and orderly" way, the aim is to "progress."

Mocking the Chinese national legislature's decision as a "sham" which does not allegedly "meet international standards," some HKSAR legislators are threatening to veto the constitutional reform plan, which will be brought to the HKSAR Legislative Council for a vote in June.

The second round of public consultation on constitutional reform will conclude Saturday. During the first round, the HKSAR government received 120,000 written opinions from among 7 million Hong Kong residents.

The latest survey by the Hong Kong-based One Country Two Systems Research Institute showed 60 percent of respondents welcomed the existing constitutional reform plan.

Before and after making the decision on constitutional reform in the HKSAR, the NPC Standing Committee organized discussions and briefings for hearing more diversified voices from the Hong Kong public, exchanging views with them.

If the constitutional reform plan is endorsed by the Legislative Council, Hong Kong will have one historic step forward in advancing democracy. Realization of universal suffrage in Hong Kong's chief executive election in 2017 would lead to better governance and more effective allocation of resources for enlivening its economy and improving residents' livelihood.

The chaotic and destructive Occupy Central movement last year was nothing progressive, instead dividing social classes and obstructing political consensus from being shaped.

What Britain failed to grant the Hong Kong people in choosing their own leaders during the British reign from 1840 to 1997 might be achieved in Hong Kong only two decades after it was returned to China.

Genuine lovers for Hong Kong should welcome the constitutional reform plan, which pushes forward democracy on the land, in a "gradual and orderly" way.