SCIO briefing on NPC's decision on improving HKSAR's electoral system
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E-mail China.org.cn, March 18, 2021
ITAR-TASS:
My question is also about reform. This reform implements the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong." Can you give any details [about] who will serve as the judge? Who will make decisions concerning politicians and officials [with regards] to patriotism feelings? Will the moderate opposition be able to be elected to the Legislation Council after the reform? Don't you think that this principle of patriotism will leave some part of Hong Kong society unrepresented in the Legislation Council, and possibly lead to further political crisis? Thank you.
Zhang Xiaoming:
I'm glad to answer your question. This is indeed a question of great concern in Hong Kong society. Comrade Deng Xiaoping once elaborated on the criteria that patriots must meet. He said: "What is a patriot? A patriot is one who respects the Chinese nation, sincerely supports the motherland's resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong and wishes not to impair Hong Kong's prosperity and stability." These three sets of criteria still stand in judging whether a person is patriotic or not. Of course, at the time when Deng made his remarks, Hong Kong had not returned to the motherland, had not been included in the national governance system, and had not seen chaos like the illegal "Occupy Central" movement and the turbulence over the amendment bill. At that time, there could not be a "negative list." At a recent symposium, Mr. Xia Baolong said that patriots must uphold the nation's sovereignty, security and development interests, respect and uphold the fundamental system of the country and the constitutional order of the HKSAR, and do their best to safeguard Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. Xia also clearly pointed out that those who advocate "Hong Kong independence," those who apply the "burn with us" tactic, and those who defy the nation's fundamental system, are not patriots. Xia's views align with Deng's definition of patriots. What's more, Xia's elaboration was a practical response to the new situations, new problems and new challenges arising from the implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle after Hong Kong's return to the motherland. The aim of improving the electoral system of the HKSAR is to provide a legal and institutional safeguard for fully implementing the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong." We will by no means allow unpatriotic people, especially those anti-China disruptors in Hong Kong, to participate in the governance of the HKSAR. We will never allow those anti-China disruptors in Hong Kong to continue to have a seat in the hall of LegCo. Not even one. This is self-evident.
I must make it clear that the central authorities' emphasis on "patriots administering Hong Kong" is not meant to erase all differences in Hong Kong. Here, two lines of demarcation have to be drawn. First, the fact that unpatriotic people are not allowed to find their way into the HKSAR's power structure or governance system does not mean that they are not allowed to work and live in Hong Kong. They are just not allowed to participate in its governance. Second, the fact that unpatriotic people, especially those anti-China disruptors in Hong Kong, are excluded from the HKSAR's governance system does not mean that opposition members or the pan-democracy camp will all be excluded. We cannot simply equate the opposition members, especially the pan-democracy camp, with the anti-China disruptors in Hong Kong. There are patriots among the opposition members, especially among the pan-democracy camp, and those patriots still have the right to stand for election and be elected in accordance with the law. I would like to assure the reporter from TASS that LegCo in the future will be more broadly representative, and you will hear different voices in LegCo, including criticism of the government. What is different is, you may never see those legislators who make an ugly show of themselves, or willfully filibuster, or even get into fist fights. That is the difference. Thank you.
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