Chinese premier Li Keqiang expresses confidence Hong Kong can solve its own problems
Speaking at end of annual ‘two sessions’ in Beijing, Li pledges support for policies that will keep city prosperous and stable
Premier Li Keqiang has expressed faith in Hongkongers’ ability to solve their own problems wisely as he struck a confident note on the city’s prospects despite gloomy predictions of a slowdown and worsening tension.
Adopting a distinctly gentler tone than Beijing had previously taken, Li yesterday said the central government believed local authorities had “the capability and the public the wisdom to handle all the complex problems and situations facing Hong Kong”.
He made the comment in response to a question from Hong Kong media on the Mong Kok riot and the city’s future, among a slew of questions he tackled at the press conference wrapping up the annual meeting of the National People’s Congress.
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Li refrained from commenting specifically on the riot and made no mention of phrases such as “radical separatists”, a term the Foreign Ministry assigned to participants in the unrest shortly after clashes erupted in the Kowloon district last month.
Reiterating the “one country, two systems” principle, he stressed that Beijing “has not changed and will not change” its position, including allowing people in Hong Kong to rule themselves with a high degree of autonomy.
On the path ahead, he said he expected the city to remain stable and prosperous in the long run, pledging “full support” for all policies that Hong Kong wanted to pursue to make it a thriving place.
While giving a sense of optimism about the city’s economic prospects – days after credit rating agency Moody’s changed its long-term debt outlook from stable to negative – Li called on Hong Kong to count on its own efforts and seize the mainland’s opportunities to seek further development.
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