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Hong Kong electoral changes
OpinionComment
Gary Cheung
Gary Cheung

Opinion | Why Hong Kong electoral reform is a double-edged sword for Beijing

  • With the revamped system in place, Beijing will be directly involved in local politics, whether it likes it or not
  • Being in the driver’s seat, it may be blamed for governance failures. Finger-pointing may ensue over livelihood issues, not just political matters

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Police officers raise the Chinese and Hong Kong flags at Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong on March 11. Photo: Reuters
Gary Cheung
The dust appears to be settling on the drastic shake-up of Hong Kong’s electoral system, with the announcement of local legislation on Tuesday to implement Beijing’s plan for an overhaul. While the revamp will effectively give the central government near-absolute control over Hong Kong’s political structure, Beijing also risks bearing the brunt of responsibility for failures of the city’s governance.
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Under the “one country, two systems” formula, Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy and Beijing is supposed to play the role of the final arbiter in any dispute between various interested parties in Hong Kong.

In the first few years after Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule, Beijing was confident that the city would be able to chart its own course and granted a relatively free hand to then chief executive Tung Chee-hwa to govern the city.

Back then, to highlight the central government’s determination to steer away from Hong Kong’s politics, Beijing officials even told the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB), the flagship of the pro-establishment camp that regularly visited Beijing before the 1997 handover, to stop organising official trips.

The DAB leadership only visited the mainland in the party’s capacity shortly after the July 2003 protest that saw 500,000 Hongkongers take to the streets over a proposed national security bill. The legislation was ultimately shelved amid the resistance. The DAB was renamed the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong after merging with the Hong Kong Progressive Alliance in 2005.
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This year’s electoral overhaul signifies a landmark change in Beijing’s role, as it transforms from an umpire to a player taking a direct hand in Hong Kong affairs.

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