A spokesman for the US Department of State commented on Hong Kong's "referendum" on universal suffrage on Wednesday, saying the US supports democracy in Hong Kong in accordance with the Basic Law and the aspirations of the Hong Kong people.

"We support Hong Kong's well-established traditions and Basic Law protections of internationally recognized fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression," he said.

"While the details of the election process for the chief executive in 2017 have yet to be worked out, we believe that the legitimacy of the chief executive will be greatly enhanced if the promise of universal suffrage is fulfilled and if the election provides the people of Hong Kong a genuine choice of candidates representative of the voters' will," the spokesman told the Global Times via e-mail sent by the US Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau.

"The US supports democracy in Hong Kong in accordance with the Basic Law and the aspirations of the Hong Kong people. We believe that an open society, with the highest possible degree of autonomy and governed by the rule of law, is essential for Hong Kong's stability and prosperity," he added.

The statements came after speculation that forces outside Hong Kong may interfere.

A representative of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong declared on June 19 that it strongly opposes intervention in Hong Kong matters by foreign forces, as well as collusion with external powers.

The statement was made following a reported secret meeting between Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai Chi-ying and Paul Wolfowitz, former US deputy secretary of defense, in late May. Lai is well known for his outspoken opposition against the government.

According to Hong Kong's Headline Daily, Lai denied he had had any contact with foreign politicians, saying these politicians will only use Hong Kong for their own benefit.

The meetings Lai is accused of holding were believed to have been arranged before the vote took place, and closed, making the whole thing very suspicious, Chow Yung, a member of the Lobby Group Silent Majority of Hong Kong, told the Global Times earlier.

Jiang Xun, a reporter, wrote for the Shanghai-based Xinmin Weekly previously that at the beginning of April, Democratic Party founder Martin Lee Chu-ming and former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang visited the US and met with US Vice President Joe Biden. In May, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel visited Hong Kong, and invited several pan-democratic party heads to "discuss" political reforms in Hong Kong.

"It's a public secret that some Western countries are attempting to use Hong Kong as a springboard for the 'peaceful evolution of China,'" Jiang said.