Disaffection poisons Hong Kong-mainland relations
Regina Ip says the growing Hong Kong-mainland divide is a problem not just for Beijing in applying 'one country, two systems'; those professing to care about the city cannot ignore it, either
Last month, authorities in Beijing dropped a bombshell by publishing their first ever white paper on the implementation of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong. The unprecedented move immediately sparked speculation that Beijing's statement signified a weakening of its commitment to Hong Kong's separate systems. Pundits also questioned the timing of its release, being so close to the holding of an unauthorised "referendum" on the mechanisms for nominating the chief executive in 2017.
In the event, the "referendum" attracted a reported turnout of 780,000. Questions were inevitably raised as to whether Beijing's strong assertion of authority over Hong Kong fomented support.
Translated into seven languages and prepared over a year, the white paper could not possibly have been issued as a knee-jerk response to escalating demands for civic nomination or threats to "occupy Central". A closer scrutiny shows that the white paper is in the same vein as an article by Zhang Xiaoming , published in the Chinese-language press in November 2012, when Zhang was deputy minister in the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.
Both Zhang's article and the white paper stated from the outset that Beijing's fundamental objective is to uphold the sovereignty, security and developmental interests of the nation, as well as the prosperity and stability of the two special administrative regions.
After 15 years of experience in implementing "one country, two systems", Zhang identified "three sets of relationship" which needed to be successfully managed. They are the relationship between upholding the principle of "one country" while respecting the "two systems"; upholding the authority of the centre while safeguarding the special administrative regions' high degree of autonomy; and making full use of the vast hinterland provided by mainland China while enhancing the two regions' competitiveness.
The "three sets of relationship" was effectively a summary of the challenges faced by the central authorities in implementing "one country, two systems", as perceived in late 2012.
The white paper is a continuation of the central authorities' efforts to grapple with putting "one country, two systems" into practice. In the last chapter on "fully and accurately understanding and implementing" this policy, the white paper says the practice of this "groundbreaking initiative" has encountered "new circumstances and new problems".
