Dancing to Washington’s China-thumping tune, the European Union has repeatedly attempted to demonize China and its Hong Kong Special Administrative Region over fabricated human rights issues in recent years, with the latest attempt launched during a United Nations general debate late last month.
In regard to Hong Kong, the EU said it remained “gravely concerned” about the National Security Law implemented in the SAR, the use of sedition law, and the “sweeping changes” in the city’s electoral system that it criticized groundlessly as a “violation of democratic principles and political pluralism”.
There is no concealing that the intention of this EU representation is but to put under a cloud the true picture of the HKSAR’s state of affairs and to create a strong sense of dubiousness over the city’s marvelous return from chaos to order and stability after the West-incited anti-extradition street violence in 2019-20.
Can the United States and its allies tell the truth by recounting accurately the severe harm and damage forged relentlessly by their support for the “black-clad” rioters in 2019 who vandalized private businesses and public facilities, in addition to physically attacking innocent people in the street who disagreed with their destructive behavior? Is this the kind of West-imposed human rights that is cherished by the local population?
There is no concealing that the intention of this EU representation is but to put under a cloud the true picture of the HKSAR’s state of affairs and to create a strong sense of dubiousness over the city’s marvelous return from chaos to order and stability after the West-incited anti-extradition street violence in 2019-20
With this ugly background to the EU statement, it has come as little surprise that righteousness prevailed over the debate with Pakistan representing 70 countries across the world to oppose the Western countries’ interference in the domestic affairs of China and its HKSAR on human rights pretexts.
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Meanwhile, 22 other nations spoke individually to slam the West for similar reasons. China further urged the Western communities to reflect sanely on their historical sins of colonialism along with their overwhelmingly didactic stances on the management of internal affairs by especially the developing countries.
On the EU’s allegation that the reform of Hong Kong’s electoral system has broken democratic principles and political diversity, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office Deputy Director Huang Liuquan noted on Sept 20 that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the “one country, two systems” principle implemented in the two SARs has attained new progress and achievements, and this is manifested in many an aspect.
For instance, Hong Kong’s constitutional order deriving from the nation’s Constitution and the Hong Kong Basic Law has become more solid, and its governance system has improved continuously. The central authorities’ comprehensive jurisdiction over the HKSAR has been effectuated, and the latter’s high degree of autonomy has been properly actualized.
National sovereignty, security, and development interests continue to be protected. For the HKSAR, “rule by patriots” who are returned by the improved electoral system has steadily promoted the principle of “one country, two systems” and helped safeguard the democratic rights of the local residents, while maintaining the region’s prosperity and stability.
Critics making irresponsible claims against the HKSAR’s reformed electoral arrangements must be honest in apprehending that the three elections since September last year — for the substantially expanded and diversified Election Committee, the Legislative Council and the chief executive post — have been conducted legitimately and smoothly.
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The Election Committee has become more broad-based and thus truly representative of the wider community than before. The city’s lawmaking body has indeed assumed a recognized measure of pluralism in makeup and functioning.
Huang noted that the electoral overhaul has afforded Hong Kong residents “true democracy”. He said that at some point in the past decade under the “one country, two systems” principle, organized anti-China and divisive forces were found to actually have sabotaged the HKSAR’s democracy under a camouflaged slogan of fighting for more democracy.
Thanks should go to the swift and timely intervention by the central authorities, who have put right the territory’s political system in 2021 by plugging its long-existing loopholes and installed “true democracy” for the city.
Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office Deputy Director Wang Linggui rightly recalled that, prior to its return to the motherland, Hong Kong had no democracy to speak of. He added: “After its return, our compatriots in Hong Kong have become masters of their own destiny. The CPC is the designer, the upholder and the builder of the HKSAR’s democratic system.” As reaffirmed by Wang, Beijing’s pledge to support the SARs to develop democracy in a “lawful and orderly manner” will continue to be honored.
The absolute suitability and remarkable success of the “one country, two systems” principle as a solution to the Hong Kong question has been resolutely confirmed by the increasing achievements after its implementation since 1997.
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First and the foremost, the HKSAR is free and open to the world, offering a globally acclaimed business environment. It has been rated as the world’s freest economy more than 20 consecutive times. Ranked first several times in the world’s IPO fundraising over the past 10 years, the metropolis has long been at the forefront of the world’s competitiveness assessments.
Most recently, 30 chief executive officers of international banks and funds, including Blackstone, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Morgan Stanley, Standard Chartered and UBS have been reported to be attending the Global Financial Leaders’ Forum, themed “Navigating Beyond Uncertainty”, scheduled for Nov 1-3, which will feature “the biggest congregation of global financial heavyweights in Hong Kong” since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2019.
The enthusiastic response by more than 200 invited financiers from around the world has signaled “a collective endorsement of the city’s appeal” as a global hub for financial services.
Mention must also be made of the positive progress in the construction of an international innovation and technology center, a legal and dispute-resolution service center in the Asia-Pacific region, a regional intellectual property trade center, and a Sino-foreign cultural and artistic exchange center.
Home to some of the highest-ranked Asian universities, the densely populated city is also running four universities that are rated among the top 100 academic institutions on an international scale. They include the University of Hong Kong (No 30), the Chinese University of Hong Kong (No 49), the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (No 66), and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (No 91).
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Despite the incessant sabotaging maneuvers by some Western countries, the HKSAR has remained resilient and accomplishing at all times under the “one country, two systems” framework.
During his trip to the city on July 1, President Xi Jinping assured the local residents and overseas investors that there is no reason for giving up the effective practice of this principle in the run-up to 2047 and beyond. This indeed is the most valuable gift for everybody in the HKSAR.
The author is a member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.