Hong Kong pan-democrats cast doubt on Xi’s softer approach to talks with political opponents

President says central government ready to talk to anyone regardless of their political views so long as they love the country and Hong Kong and back the Basic Law

Reading Time:2 minutes

President Xi Jinping hinted at dialogue with opposition forces in Hong Kong. Photo: ISD

Published: 4:15pm, 1 Jul 2017Updated: 5:33pm, 1 Jul 2017

Hong Kong’s opposition lawmakers remain sceptical over the possibility of building a healthy relationship with Beijing after President Xi Jinping said the central government was ready to talk to anyone regardless of their political views.

While upholding his firm stance over national security, Xi adopted a softer approach at the end of his speech in Hong Kong after swearing in Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her cabinet. He hinted a dialogue with pan-democrats was possible as long as they “love the country and Hong Kong”.

“Hong Kong is a plural society. So it comes as no surprise that there are different views and even major differences on some specific issues. However, making everything political or deliberately creating differences and provoking confrontation will not resolve the problems,” Xi said.

“On the part of the central government, we are ready to talk to anyone who loves the country, loves Hong Kong and genuinely supports the principle of ‘one country, two systems’ and the Basic Law of the HKSAR, no matter what political views or position he or she may hold.”

Watch: Carrie Lam begins five-year term as chief executive