"We need to understand China’s principle regarding Hong Kong."
"We need to understand China’s principle regarding Hong Kong."When the late President Deng Xiaoping toyed with the idea of forwarding a political formula of “one country, two systems” for Hong Kong, he conceived it not to remind the people of China that the island was once a concession obtained by the British colonialist in 1891 just to dump opium in that territory. Again in 1898, the New Territories known as Kowloon was added in what was infamously known as the Second Opium War for Hong Kong.
Deng’s decision to recognize the “one country, two systems” for Hong Kong was borne out of pragmatism. It was typical of him as he was quoted saying, “It doesn’t matter whether a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice.”
The trouble is that the West, particularly the US, now wants to stretch Deng’s political metaphor ignoring that the negotiation for the transfer of Hong Kong was for political convenience without China abandoning its sovereignty over the territory. The concept was not meant to divide and keep Hong Kong in perpetuity as an enclave but a gesture to ensure that the sovereignty of China remains in Hong Kong.
Freedom and independence have reference to Hong Kong, concommitant to its return to the Motherland, and the people of Hong Kong cannot treat themselves as alien to the Chinese nation. The people of Hong Kong must show their loyalty and patriotism to the basic law or constitution of China. The concept of two systems was to impress upon others that Hong Kong is free to chart its own political destiny. Deng knows that under international law, states are allowed certain rights except that it should not legislate on issues that would impair or divide the sovereignty of China over Hong Kong.
The term Hong Kong as a special administrative region is a concession to implement the two systems to allow it to exercise free enterprise in its economy but not to adopt policies that would redefine the basic law of China. The electoral system for the special administrative region is not meant to be disregarded, ignored or violated by the people of Hong Kong.
The autonomy enjoyed by the people of Hong Kong is not a gift to accord the troublemakers an advantage to exploit their demand for independence, which if conversely stated, meant giving them their right to secede, which no state that values its territorial integrity would allow. Freedom has its valid limitation but it should not infringe on the sovereignty to destroy and dismember the states.
The decision of the 13th National People’s Congress to pass the National Security Law for Hong Kong on June 20, 2020 under Article 38 makes foreign nationals liable for criminal acts committed outside of Hong Kong and China, and such foreigners could be arrested once they arrive in Hong Kong. Anyone found guilty under the law will be barred from holding public office for life.
Before that law was passed, foreign nationals like the British, Americans, Canadians, and Australians were identified as behind the political agitation. They have been pinpointed to finance anti-government activities in Hong Kong resulting in riots, vandalism, looting and burning of properties sometimes resulting in death and injuries to the civilian population. Often, these foreign nationals are working with foreign embassy, legation and are known to be funded and supported by civil society organizations such as the National Endowment for Democracy believed by many to be operating as front of the CIA.
This month, the NPC approved the electoral reforms system for the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong. The electoral reform sought to discourage the clamor for “independence” based on the misguided interpretation that the “one country, two systems” is their cue to separate Hong Kong from China. That was intensified by the Trump administration to agitate Taiwan to clamor for independence in defiance to the “one China” policy recognized by the US in the Shanghai Communiqués of 1972 as a condition for its recognition of China.
The passage of Hong Kong’s National Security Law and the Electoral Reform is an Act of State that if allowed to gain foothold through propaganda, disinformation and deceit could lead to the disintegration of the Chinese nation. For China to guarantee that wrong interpretation is to make a farce of that policy, for clearly the US is committed to destroying China.
What caused to fan the sentiment of these agitators is the use of “patriotism” as a condition before they are allowed to participate in the electoral reform act of Hong Kong. It is a win-win formula for the people of Hong Kong—that he who refuses to extend his allegiance should equally not be allowed to participate in the political process.
The US’ attempt to dismember China is total and comprehensive beginning in the trade war, the blacklisting of Chinese companies engaged in legitimate trade and sale of technology, alleging violation of the intellectual property and sale of technology to its unabated subversion of Xingjian and Tibet, instigating separatist movement, and accusing China of labor law violation and massive re-education of the native population. At the centerstage of US propaganda, it seeks to erode the territorial integrity of China in Hong Kong.
Notably, states clamoring for independence have their valid and underlying reason. Often, they seek to achieve development, progress and prosperity for their country. But in the case of Hong Kong, the people there do not feel and see their territory being exploited, made a place to re-dump opium, or haven to smuggle goods, or to discriminate its citizens in the exercise of their civil and political rights.
Rather, Hong Kong has tremendously progressed since 1997; its per capita income has doubled and the prosperity and progress of Hong Kong accelerated even faster after its return to the Motherland. This is contrary to rumors there would be capital flight once Hong Kong was turned over to China.
China has poured in much capital to maintain Hong Kong as the number one tourist capital of Asia. The 55-kilometer Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (34 mi), a bridge-tunnel system consisting of a series of three cable-stayed bridges, an undersea tunnel, and four artificial islands is both the longest sea crossing and the longest open-sea fixed link in the world.
The HZM Bridge was designed to last for 120 years at the cost 127 billion yuan (US$18.8 billion) to build. The cost of constructing the Main Bridge was estimated at 51.1 billion Yuan (US$7.56 billion) funded by bank loans and shared among the governments of mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. The HZM Bridge was constructed for 11 years. On 24 October 2018, the HZMB was opened to the public after its inauguration a day earlier by President Xi Jinping.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge now serves as testament of China’s determination that Hong Kong will not be left behind as the country straddles to attain further progress.
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