FORMAL talks between Hong Kong student protesters and the government will take place on Friday 4pm.

This was announced on Tuesday night by Mr Lau Kong Wah, the undersecretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, following a third round of preparatory discussions with the Hong Kong Federation of Students.

There will be two topics up for discussion, he said.

The first is the constitutional basis for electoral reform. The second, the "legal requirements" for constitutional development.

Hong Kong's No 2, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, will lead the government delegation including two other officials.

While the venue has not been fixed, the open meeting will be "around Wan Chai", meaning that it is likely to be broadcast live by the media.

Time is running out, especially for the protest movement. The number of protesters on Tuesday has dwindled markedly, even as the city's residents express increasing irritation to the disruption to their lives.