City Beat | Year of the Ox signals political turbulence as China-US wrestling over Hong Kong continues
- Hong Kong electoral reform may become another point of contention between the US and China, but does Beijing have any reason to back down now?
- Gone are the days of China-US consensus on Hong Kong affairs, and Beijing no longer sees a need for “giving face” to the US when it comes to its policy on the city
It was back in 2017 when President Xi Jinping first raised the concept of Beijing’s “comprehensive jurisdiction” over Hong Kong.
If anyone was still wondering what that would entail, the answer is all too clear in Beijing’s latest reaffirmation that “only patriots can rule Hong Kong”.
Adding to the complexity, Hong Kong remains a sticking point as China-US tensions continue unabated despite the change of administration at the White House.
Over the weekend, the tit-for-tat exchanges between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Chinese counterpart State Councillor Yang Jiechi over the issues of Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong were but another sign of how this city can sour the world’s most important bilateral relationship.
The Blinken-Yang phone call was the first high-level talk between Washington and Beijing since Joe Biden was sworn in as US president in January. The leaders of the two major powers have yet to speak to each other.
Gone are the days when China-US consensus or strategic mutual understanding was possible over Hong Kong affairs. To put it bluntly, Beijing sees no need for “giving face” to the US when it comes to its Hong Kong policy.
