Dark days are ahead for Hong Kong and Taiwan as Beijing’s hardline strategy continues.
The Diplomat
Date: April 04, 2018
By: Johan Englund
On July 1 last year, Hong Kong marked the 20th anniversary of the handover from Britain
Image Credit: Flickr/ Audrey
to China. Xi Jinping made his first visit to Hong Kong as the president of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for the commemorations. He was received with great pomp and fanfare, but demonstrations and protest marches in the city signaled the significant rise in tensions and anti-mainland sentiments that simmer in the city.
In his speech, Xi starkly discouraged any of the growing calls for greater political freedoms and independence. He drew a red line for anyone using “Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland.” The message could not be missed, as the Chinese president staked out that “any attempt to endanger China’s sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the central government… crosses a red line and is absolutely impermissible.”
Dim Prospects for Hong Kong
At the moment, prospects and hope for “true universal suffrage” in Hong Kong seem stalled. Reports at the recent National People’s Congress in Beijing indeed further squelched any hope for this. Twenty years ago, when Hong Kong returned to Chinese sovereignty, the city was allowed to retain its own economic and political system under the framework “one country, two systems.” The agreement guaranteed that Hong Kong will function as a special administrative region (SAR) of China until 2047 and ensured that the city will able to exercise political freedoms and civil rights such as a separate legislature, freedom of speech, and independent judiciary. [FULL STORY]
