City Beat | Interactions with Beijing have long been a political test for Hong Kong’s leaders – now it’s John Lee’s turn
- It would be odd for both sides to keep up any pretence of maintaining a distance, as political practices over time have changed
- Proper communication between Lee and officials up north has become a practical reality, and all eyes will be on how he makes use of the ‘one country, two systems’ policy
In politics, it is revealing to see how certain practices once considered taboo can become publicly acceptable as the new normal.
That is the case in the delicate interactions between local leaders and Beijing’s representatives in Hong Kong, which critics used to take as a barometer of the city’s “high degree of autonomy” under the “one country, two systems” governing policy.
In recent years, Beijing has put the focus on how its “comprehensive jurisdiction” over Hong Kong must be properly implemented, and such interactions between the two sides have resulted in changing responses and outcomes.
Last week, the day after being elected as Hong Kong’s next chief executive, John Lee Ka-chiu’s packed schedule was underscored by visits to all four of Beijing main representative institutions in the city: the central government’s liaison office, which oversees all Hong Kong-based mainland agencies; the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry; the People’s Liberation Army’s local headquarters; and the Committee for Safeguarding National Security.
Lee’s office gave the media a heads-up, making it as normal as his other open engagements. Luo Huining, Beijing’s envoy, greeted Lee at the front gate of the liaison office, allowing a brief photo opportunity to the crowd of journalists in tow. There was no political outcry.
Turn back the clock just 10 years, and it was a completely different story.
Back in 2012, soon after Leung Chun-ying was elected as chief executive, he paid what he described as a “courtesy call” to the liaison office. That set off a political storm, with Leung’s critics accusing him of paying his dues to the office for canvassing votes for him, and even inviting Beijing to meddle in Hong Kong’s internal affairs.
