A Chinese national flag and a
Hong Kong flag fly outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, China
Nov 7, 2016. Source: Reuters/Bobby Yip
27th May 2017
A TOP Chinese official said on Saturday Hong Kong’s high degree of
autonomy must not be taken as a licence to confront Beijing, and urged
the territory’s government to implement contentious new national
security laws.
The comments by Zhang Dejiang, China’s number three official who
oversees Hong Kong affairs, highlight growing concerns at Beijing’s top
leadership about a fledgling independence or secessionist movement in
the former British colony.
They come as Hong Kong, which returned to mainland rule in 1997 amid
promises of wide-ranging autonomy under the formula of “one country, two
systems”, is set to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its handover on
July 1, with Chinese president Xi Jinping widely expected to visit the
city.
In some of his strongest comments yet, Zhang, the chairman of the
Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, warned in a speech
that Hong Kong’s autonomy should not be used as a license to challenge
the central government’s authority.
“Under ‘One Country, Two Systems,’ the Central Government and Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region’s power relationship is… not one of power
sharing,” Zhang said during an official forum discussing Hong Kong’s
mini-constitution, in footage carried by Hong Kong’s Cable TV.
“Under no condition should the high degree of autonomy be used as a guise to confront the Central Government’s authority.”
After the 2014 “Umbrella Movement” protests, where hundreds of thousands
occupied the streets for months and demanded full democracy, a nascent
independence movement emerged, though it lost momentum after China
stepped in last year to effectively disqualify two of the movement’s
young leaders elected into legislature.
Apart from the independence movement, another group of activists headed
by student protest leader Joshua Wong called for self-determination
rights for the former colony.
Zhang slammed both movements on Saturday.
“In practice they attempt to turn Hong Kong into an independent or
semi-independent political entity, and to secede Hong Kong from the
country,” Zhang said.
“We cannot ignore these actions. The (Hong Kong government) should
implement their constitutional responsibility under the Basic Law to
enact laws over national security, and resolutely halt any behaviour and
action that endanger national unity.”
Under Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, known as the Basic Law, the
government is expected to toughen up the territory’s existing national
security laws, but has held off on doing so since its last attempt in
2003 triggered the first massive street protests after the handover. – Reuters
27th May 2017
