SCIO briefing on 'Hong Kong: Democratic Progress Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems' white paper
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China Daily:
The white paper mentions that having Hong Kong patriots govern Hong Kong does not exclude people with different political views or ideas, nor will criticism of the government be suppressed. Democracy in the HKSAR allows ample room for different opinions and political groups, and there will be a plurality of voices in the government. All those who love the country and Hong Kong should stand together to form the most extensive united front, and expand it and make it more inclusive under the framework of One Country, Two Systems. The head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of China's State Council also pointed out earlier that there was a diverse range of candidates for the LegCo election. Did the recently concluded LegCo election reflect this nature? Thanks.
Han Dayuan:
Thank you for your question. Since the changes and improvements were made to Hong Kong's electoral system, a total of 90 LegCo members have been elected. People are very concerned about how political inclusion is manifested. Among the questions of concern, I found that political inclusion and diversity of the electoral system are the terms that appear most frequently. As a scholar, I have some thoughts to share with you in this regard.
First of all, we must set a basic premise when talking about political inclusion, as I have mentioned earlier. The name of this white paper is "Hong Kong: Democratic Progress Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems." The policy of One Country, Two Systems itself is one of China's greatest and most unique contributions to the political civilization of mankind. Its essence lies in the peaceful coexistence of two distinct systems within a sovereign country, each exerting respective advantages within the scope of a country. Therefore, the establishment and development of this system itself embodies the greatest political inclusion and greatest political courage, which is also one of China's contributions to world civilization. We have seen that though some countries or politicians criticize China's policy of One Country, Two Systems, they all recognize its contribution. In the history of human political civilization over the past 100 years, we cannot find similar institutional arrangements. In the socialist country of China, the policy of One Country, Two Systems is used to solve problems leftover from history. The political inclusion is embodied in the commitment and basic philosophy of China's government to the principle of One Country, Two Systems. The democratic development of Hong Kong under the policy of One Country, Two Systems, including the reform of the electoral system, reflects the greatest political inclusion, which in itself demonstrates the philosophy of the policy of One Country, Two Systems.
The white paper emphasized the inclusiveness and diversity of democracy in many aspects. Notably, it highlighted how to ensure the inclusiveness of the election. For example, the white paper summarized four characteristics of the electoral system. First, it is broadly representative. The electoral system has attracted an impressive range of candidates from diverse backgrounds, which shows its diversity. Second, it is politically inclusive. Candidates for the LegCo, from different points on the political spectrum, are all equal, no matter what political philosophies and opinions they hold. It's normal that they have different political views or opinions. Hong Kong patriots governing Hong Kong is the fundamental principle for improving the region's electoral system and the foundation for promoting its democratic progress. Hong Kong patriots must govern Hong Kong, but this principle doesn't mean disallowing different voices. Any Hong Kong residents can stand for election and participate in governing Hong Kong in accordance with the law, as long as they love the country and Hong Kong and are not involved in activities that undermine national sovereignty, security, and development interests or jeopardize Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. Therefore, it does not exclude people with different political views or ideas, nor will criticism of the government be suppressed, as said by some Western countries. Political inclusiveness and diversity are essential to implementing the principle of Hong Kong patriots governing Hong Kong. As you know, Hong Kong itself is a diverse society. Usually, people hold different views, opinions, or even sharp criticisms concerning the formulation of public policies and laws and significant issues. However, the Basic Law stipulates that Hong Kong residents shall have freedom of speech, press, assembly, and procession. These are all fundamental rights and freedoms safeguarded by the Basic Law. Hence, the central government clarifies that no instigator of disorder should be allowed into the governing body of the HKSAR, which doesn't mean that no other voices are allowed in the LegCo. During this election, 153 candidates were vying for 90 LegCo seats, which indicates that the electoral system is broadly representative and ensures balanced participation. From the perspective of social background, these LegCo members include clergy, school principals, university professors, lawyers, doctors, and community workers, and such broad representation reflects political inclusiveness and diversity. Among the 90 LegCo members, 56 are new faces, accounting for 62% of the total. Hopefully, you will notice an essential idea in the white paper: All those who love the country and Hong Kong should stand together to form the most extensive united front, expand it, and make it more inclusive under the One Country, Two Systems framework. The extensive united front means that we do not differentiate between political groups based on their political views, backgrounds, or ideas; our sole criterion is to see who serves the people of Hong Kong and safeguards the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. In this way, we have formed a consensus among Hong Kong society to the most significant extent.
As a scholar, I would especially like to emphasize that since Hong Kong's return to China, since 2005 in particular, some regular expressions took shape in Hong Kong society, such as "pro-establishment camp," "opposition camp," and "pro-democracy camp." Democracy is a very noble and great term. It is understandable to form such habitual expressions as the "pro-democracy camp" label at times, or other labels, in a certain period after its return, but such a phrase, or a way of thinking, cannot objectively demonstrate the diverse interests in Hong Kong society, and is not beneficial for building a diverse and inclusive political and cultural atmosphere. It is apt to, by labeling people who love the country and Hong Kong but hold different political views, artificially divide patriotic people into various factions, which I think is not conducive to uniting people from all sectors of society or building social consensus. The white paper emphasizes forming the most extensive united front under One Country, Two Systems. I believe it is a very important concept because the core of democracy lies in enhancing people's sense of identity and gaining in system implementation. The key to the issue lies in how LegCo members genuinely serve the people after the election. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the anti-extradition turmoil, Hong Kong society, especially the Hong Kong people, faces many challenges and issues concerning livelihood, such as housing and employment, which are expected to be addressed through the new LegCo. In my view, being elected to the LegCo is just an exam admission ticket given by the Hong Kong people, and it remains to be seen whether the 90 members elected will genuinely serve the Hong Kong people in the next four years and whether they will be able to obtain their "graduation certificates." The Hong Kong people are in the best position to say whether or not to give them the "graduation certificates," and I particularly look forward to seeing them respond to the most urgent expectations of the Hong Kong people after being sworn in. Thank you.
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