Tammy Tam

City Beat | Is Beijing softening its tone towards Hong Kong on major policies?

But underlying message is clear: that the central government expects reciprocal understanding and goodwill from the city

Reading Time:3 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

Hong Kong has received many reminders recently of its obligation to protect the interests of “one country” so as to maintain “two systems”. Photo: Reuters

Tammy Tam

Published: 4:05pm, 13 May 2018Updated: 10:04pm, 13 May 2018

Reading between the lines is necessary when it comes to Beijing’s narrative on major policies, including those about Hong Kong under “one country, two systems”.

Here comes the latest question: is Beijing softening its tone towards the city?

This was the impression some got when Zhang Xiaoming, Beijing’s top official in charge of the city’s affairs, delivered a speech on Friday conveying the latest “four-point” guidelines from a “central government leader”.

Zhang emphasised the need to achieve the maximum social effect, or the maximal common divisor, whenever promoting Beijing’s policies in Hong Kong. Methods and language “acceptable” to locals must be used, he added, while urging mutual respect be strengthened by “thinking what the other side thinks”.

Zhang Xiaoming is Beijing’s top official in charge of Hong Kong’s affairs. Photo: Dickson Lee

It is understood that the “leader” Zhang was referring to is Han Zheng, Beijing’s new point man on Hong Kong. Han succeeded Zhang Dejiang, former chairman of the country’s top legislature, who retired in March. Han is one of the seven powerful members of the Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee.

Amid many of the recent reminders or warnings on the city’s obligation to protect the interests of “one country” so as to maintain “two systems”, Zhang struck a surprisingly conciliatory tone. It was regarded as a sign of Beijing’s concern about being seen as too high-handed in its involvement in the city’s internal affairs – something that has been very much resisted and criticised locally.