'One country' backing beyond 2047

It is not necessary to change the one country, two systems principle 50 years after the handover as long as it continues to run smoothly, says Xia Baolong, the top Beijing official overseeing Hong Kong affairs.

The director of Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office also said yesterday that Beijing has not blamed Hong Kong for the ongoing fifth wave of Covid.

Thomas So Shiu-chung, a deputy to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said Xia told the Hong Kong delegation to the two sessions that one country, two systems has been successfully running since the handover.

"Patriots ruling Hong Kong" is the key to the "correct implementation of one country, two systems," Thomas quoted Xia as saying.

"Given that one country, two systems is going on the right track, it is unnecessary to change it after 50 years."

Xia added that Beijing did not deploy its army or armed police force to Hong Kong during the 2019 "black-clad riots," but instead allowed the city to use its own resources - showing that Beijing is following the principle.

Hong Kong has been "back on the right track" after the implementation of the national security law in June 2020 and the overhaul in the electoral system in May last year ensuring a patriots-only legislature, Xia said.

But activists have been questioning those moves, claiming they broke Beijing's promise that it will leave the one country, two systems and "a high degree of autonomy" in place for 50 years until 2047.

So quoted Xia as saying that all measures rolled out by the central government since the handover have been for Hong Kong's good, while Beijing's "comprehensive jurisdiction" does not mean it will intervene with Hong Kong's governance.

Xia said the central government respects Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy, but it gives directions to the SAR government when there are incidents that might affect its stability, according to So.

"Beijing would hope that the SAR can execute those directions but at the same time respect the difference in social systems," So quoted Xia as saying.

And the central government is not blaming Hong Kong for the fifth wave, the Hong Kong delegation was told. Beijing has also sent HK$900 million worth of supplies to the city to support its pandemic fight.

"We are a family. There's no distinction between you and me," Xia said told the delegation.

"Citizens of the whole country are supporting Hong Kong, so Hong Kong does not need to worry. And I hope Hong Kong citizens will cooperate with the SAR government's work."

The central government also sent experts to Hong Kong, including Liang Wannian, head of the Covid task force under China's National Health Commission.

The pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong initially slammed Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in an open letter for only sending directors of bureaus to Liang's reception.

But the DAB later said it "sincerely apologized" to Lam for the criticism, adding that part of the content of its letter was neither accurate nor factual and that it has learned a lesson from the incident.

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com