President Xi Jinping’s four key points for moving forward under ‘one country, two systems’

State leader delivers clearest message yet on understanding unique political model for relationship between Hong Kong and mainland China

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Chinese President Xi Jinping at the swearing-in ceremony for Hong Kong’s new administration. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 3:14pm, 1 Jul 2017Updated: 5:36pm, 1 Jul 2017

Chinese President Xi Jinping has delivered his clearest message yet on how “one country, two systems” should be understood and what lies ahead for Hong Kong after operating under the unprecedented political model for 20 years since its handover from Britain to China.

Noting that new challenges had arisen from the application of the principle, such as the need to nurture national identity in the people, a split in opinions on major political and legal issues, and the city’s housing shortage and other economic and livelihood problems, Xi gave his views on how Hong Kong should move forward.

Here are his four key points:

1. To have a correct understanding of the relationship between “one country” and “two systems”

The paramount concept of “one country, two systems”, Xi said, is to “realise and uphold national unity”.

“In conducting day-to-day affairs, we must be guided by a strong sense of ‘one country’ … and thus correctly handle the relationship between the HKSAR and the central government,” he said.

Xi issued this strong warning against separatism: “Any attempt to endanger China’s sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the central government and the authority of the Basic Law … or use Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland is an act that crosses the red line and is absolutely impermissible.”

Having said that, Xi noted that the two systems should “stay in harmony”. Differences between the two “should be respected”, and “at no time should we focus only on one aspect to the neglect of the other”.