Document says many ‘wrong views’ still rife in Hong Kong
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THE Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s high degree of autonomy is subject to the central leadership’s authorization, with no such thing as “residual power,” according to a white paper issued by the State Council, China’s Cabinet, yesterday.
The central government has comprehensive jurisdiction over all local administrative regions, including the HKSAR, the document said.
“The high degree of autonomy of the HKSAR is not full autonomy, nor a decentralized power. It is the power to run local affairs as authorized by the central leadership,” the document said.
The most important thing to do in upholding the “one country” principle is to maintain China’s sovereignty, security and development interests, and respect the country’s fundamental system and other systems and principles, the paper stressed.
The “two systems” means that within the “one country” the main body of the country practices socialism while Hong Kong and some other regions practice capitalism.
“A socialist system by the mainland is the prerequisite and guarantee for Hong Kong’s practicing capitalism and maintaining its stability and prosperity,” the paper said.
The principle of “one country” must be combined with respect for the difference of “two systems,” maintaining the power of the central government while ensuring the high degree of autonomy of the HKSAR.
The mainland should play its role as a strong supporter of the HKSAR with improving the competitive edge of Hong Kong, according to the paper.
“In no circumstance should we do one thing and neglect the other.”
The paper said progress had been made on all fronts in the HKSAR.
However, the practice of “one country, two systems” has come to face new circumstances and new problems, it added.
“Some people in Hong Kong have yet to feel comfortable with the changes. Still some are even confused or lopsided in their understanding of ‘one country, two systems’ and the Basic Law. Many wrong views that are currently rife in Hong Kong concerning its economy, society and development of its political structure are attributable to this,” the white paper said.
It called for fully and accurately understanding the meaning of “one country, two systems” policy, saying that the high degree of autonomy of the HKSAR is not an inherent power, but one that comes solely from the authorization of the central leadership.
Under this system, the central leadership directly exercises jurisdiction over the HKSAR in accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law. The central leadership also forms the power organs of the HKSAR, appointing and dismissing chief executives and other major officials.
The central government also has the power to support and guide the administration of the chief executive and government of the HKSAR in accordance with the law, and is responsible for foreign affairs and the defense of the HKSAR, the white paper said.
In the meantime, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, can also exercise power granted by the Constitution and the Basic Law of the HKSAR on issues concerning Hong Kong.
The white paper called for resolutely safeguarding the authority of the country’s Constitution and the Basic Law of Hong Kong, adding that the Hong Kong people who govern Hong Kong “should above all be patriotic.”
Meanwhile, the white paper said it is necessary to stay alert to the attempt of outside forces to use Hong Kong to interfere in China’s domestic affairs, and prevent and repel the attempt made by a very small number of people who act in collusion with outside forces to interfere with the implementation of “one country, two systems” policy in Hong Kong.
In the paper, the central government pledged its support for Hong Kong to develop a system of democratic governance that suits the city’s actual conditions in a gradual and orderly manner.
The central government is committed to reaching the ultimate aims that the chief executive is elected by universal suffrage upon nomination by a broadly representative nominating committee and that all the members of the Legislative Council are elected by universal suffrage, according to the white paper.
These remarks display firm determination and undoubted sincerity, said Zou Pingxue, deputy head of the Center for Basic Laws of Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions at Shenzhen University.
Answers to disputes and controversy about the future of Hong Kong’s political system can be found in the paper, Zou said.
Qiang Shigong, director of the Center for Hong Kong and Macau Studies at Peking University, said the document was a reply to the argument raised by some Hong Kong people that there is no legitimacy to ask the chief executive to be patriotic.
Patriotism is a basic ethic for a politician in any place of the world, including Hong Kong which is part of China, Qiang said.
“The reason why the white paper reiterates and interprets the principle of ‘one country, two systems’ is to avoid such misunderstanding,” he said.
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